Irreversible
by Princess Rayen
Summary: Once upon a time in Hueco Mundo, there was a kidnapping, and from that kidnapping came another kidnapping, and from that kidnapping came brainwashing, and from that brainwashing came bloodshed, and from that bloodshed came a not so happily ever after. So what happens then? From there comes the sight of the ground a long ways down as he stands on his last ledge.
1. Uno: Hueco Mundo

Uno: Hueco Mundo

* * *

My name is Kurosaki Ichigo. Well it used to be. How I came to be in my current situation, it's cloudy and hard to remember but I'm not the same person I was before. I had no choice in the matter actually, it took so long for them to break me but they managed. Now I don't have to have a needle stuck in me every four hours. I think that's a plus.

Anyway, what I used to be was a proud and strong shinigami, Zangetsu had long since been taken from me and Shiro disappeared. I wasn't sure how all of this happened, how they managed to overpower me in such a way or when I had become such a sissy but right now, in my current state, there was nothing I could or wanted to do about it.

I bit my lip as I pulled against my restraints, the sweat surrounding my body becoming uncomfortable and the sheet wrinkles chaffing my back and thighs. Somehow I managed to knock the blindfold from my eyes but the ball gag was a different story. My tongue and jaw were sore and cramping from the effort of trying to remove it. I shivered as my shifting caused the vibe to send waves to pleasure through me. It was followed immediately by pain as my member was suffocated by the cock ring settled tightly around the base.

Tears slid down my face and I swallowed wishing he would come back soon. My hands were bound above my head and my legs were forced apart by a metal bar with cuffs that went around my knees and connected to a chain that connected to my collar. A moment of this would let me think about my actions and allow me to ponder if those actions to warrant this type of punishment were right or wrong. Obviously they were wrong but at that moment they seemed like the best thing to do.

Where has my personality gone?

At that moment, he decided to make his grand entrance and the lecherous smirk he bestowed upon me sent shivers up my spine, my entire body shuddering.

"Still conscious Ichi-pet? It's always nice to see you so wet and willing." I shied away as he came closer and my body jerked as he toyed with my member, smearing precum across the head sending me into a pleasure daze.

"You've been naughty again," he said while he removed the blindfold. "Taking off the gifts I give you." The cuffs came off, the metal bar discarded and the ball gag, the vibe thrown away and immediately replaced with Grimmjow's hard length. I cried out in ecstasy as he rammed into me without restraint. "What do you have to say for yourself Ichi-berry? Give me an answer I like and I might let you come."

"I - ah - I'm sorry! Mnngh! I w-aahh-was ahhh bad boy for yell-uhhng and," the stimulation was too much for any type of coherent thought to go through my head.

Smack! I was jolted by the sharp pain and to my horror a guttural moan escaped from my lips. "You're not done explaining yourself Ichi-berry. And what?"

"And..and..bit-aaah-ing!"

"Good good," the relieving sensation to have the ring off and the constant thrusting at my prostate was too much and I came hard, my high hitting me like train, the overload drained my body of it's ability to hold itself up and all my limbs gave out.

I barely felt him pull out, my body twitching as post orgasm waves rode me to exhaustion.

"Tired Ichi-berry?" He asked.

I nodded shortly and I watched a smirk cross his face. "Too bad. Get up and put on the clothes in the other room. I'll give you five minutes before I punish you if you're not ready."

He left and I pushed myself up, my arms shaking with the exertion. With that I slipped off the bed and crawled to the next room in his chambers. Why the espada needed more than one room, I don't think I'd ever know.

He was there waiting for me, watching me crawl like a dog and just the thought gave me chills. I grabbed the clothes set out for me and put them on quickly.

That had been the first lesson I'd been taught when it came to being his slave. My body was owned completely by him and no one else was allowed to touch me nor could I touch anyone else. I'd learned that the hard way. When I was confined to his chambers, I wasn't allowed to have any type of clothing except for the leather collar attached to my neck. Which was another rule that it couldn't be taken off with his permission, not that it was possible anyway since it was sealed and locked with his reiatsu. I was punished when speaking out of line and blah blah, seen and be pretty but never hear unless spoken to. A rule I ignored which caused my recent punishment.

I slipped the large pants over my steadily shrinking frame, and clenched my eyes as they slipped low on my hips. The shirt was form fitting and held like a second skin as if it was made for me. I turned to Grimmjow and he came close with a chain. His hands made quick work of attaching the chain and pulled me to my feet by the collar. I gasped for breath as his knuckles pressed against my Adams apple and the glaze in his eyes made me wonder what he was thinking. Would he kill me here and now? I wasn't sure if that would be blessing or not. He released me and I took a deep breath as he put me on my feet.

"Come on Ichi-pet," he said tugging harshly on the chain nearly sending me into the floor, "we have things to do."

I followed him through Las Noches to Aizen's throne room, our first stop of the day.

"Nice of you to join us Grimmjow, Kurosaki-kun." Aizen said with that infuriating smile.

I averted my eyes and Grimmjow pulled me along and pushed me to the floor while he sat in his chair.

"How is your pet treating you Grimmjow?" I heard Aizen ask. Tempted as I was to look up, I didn't just so I didn't have to mistakenly meet those eyes and smile that made me feel disgusting all over. Just so I didn't bring anymore attention to myself than necessary. People tend to forget about things that don't move.

"He's fine. But I'm sure this meeting wasn't to talk about me and my slave."

"No, I suppose not." I clenched my fists as I imagined that smile spreading across his face again. It rivaled that of Ichimaru Gin's and screamed of bad intentions.

"We have had more encounters with the Gotei 13 and managed to capture one of them. Gin is currently breaking him in as we speak.

The invasion of the Seireitei will commence as planned. From there we will go toward the world of the living. I do have the upmost faith in you, my dear espada."

I reigned myself in and closed my eyes. Hueco Mundo just wasn't enough for the slimy bastard. I had to find a way to escape and warn the Shinigami of Aizen's plans. I couldn't let them make it to the world of the living, my friends and family were there!

"You seem to have something you want to say Kurosaki-kun." My head snapped up and I realized how I must've looked. I could feel the sweat dripping from my face and I swallowed to slow down my breathing. My eyes were wide and my knuckles white from the tight grip on my pants. Everyone's eyes were on me.

"Well?" Aizen questioned, his hand propping up his head in amused patience. "Do you not like the idea of our invasion of the human world?"

My gaze drifted to Grimmjow who was watching me, his gaze showing that of hidden rage but also a message of 'answer now lest I kick your ass'.

"No, I'm just a pet, I don't have an opinion." I responded, glaring at him with the deep hatred I felt.

"You say a thing like that with such fiery eyes. It makes it hard to believe. Grimmjow, have you broken him properly?"

Grimmjow snorted in irritation, "if I wanted a lifeless doll, I'd have gotten Szayel to make me one. That would be boring." He stood and pulled on my chain. "I've gotten the information I needed. Come Ichi-pet, we have things to do."

I followed obediently if only to get out of that room as quickly as possible. I could feel those eyes on my back, and I felt so violated.

When we arrived back at Grimmjow's chambers, I immediately stripped my clothes to get the disgusting feeling off my body. I gave a quick glance to Grimmjow and bit my lip. I would regret this.

I crawled to him and sat at his feet like an obedient pet and pulled at his pants. "Master, let's take a bath?"

"Oh? You're acting strange Ichi-berry. What's with the change of heart?"

"I don't like Aizen." I answered honestly. "He makes me feel nasty and dirty. Clean me up?"

I shuddered inside, my own words making me sick. Grimmjow hoisted me over his shoulder and into the bathroom. "Well then Ichi-berry, let's fix that."

I knew I would regret it.

* * *

This is set in an semi alternative universe. My knowledge is pretty accurate but people make mistakes. Correct me if I'm wrong anywhere.


	2. Dos: Hueco Mundo

Dos: Hueco Mundo

* * *

Hitsugaya Toshiro, Captain of the 10th division of the Gotei 13. Always picked on for being small and young, not taken seriously enough. Not today, that won't happen today. Today he came to kill.

Aizen smirked as he felt the breach, and called Gin to his side. "I haven't given you much fun, go take care of him."

Gin would be his first opponent and Hitsugaya knew as the silver haired man approached him with a wide smile on his face.

"Shiro-chan~" Gin sang mockingly. "Have you come to fight me honestly Shiro-chan?"

"Don't call me that, you traitor." Hitsugaya growled.

"Oh? Touchy are we?" Gin smirk widened. "Are you still upset about what I did to poor Hinamori-chan?"

Hitsugaya charged at Gin, his emotions running in overdrive. "I will kill you. No matter what."

"Oh, I know what it is." Gin chuckled and touched Hitsugaya's face. "You're upset that I've left your body abandoned and alone." Hitsugaya jumped away and glared at the former captain. "You're upset I've left you with such a desperate hunger for my touch, that not even your own can satisfy you anymore."

"You're disgusting." Hitsugaya growled. "Come!"

"Getting kinky are we Shiro-chan?"

Hitsugaya charged at Gin and the silver haired man grinned maliciously.

"You're not going to beat me Shiro-chan. It's nice that you would try."

"Shut up!" Hitsugaya shouted. "You don't know anything!"

"Are they still picking on you in Seireitei? They still don't take you seriously do they?"

Hitsugaya struck again but Gin blocked his attack. "You don't have to go back, you know. You could stay here with me."

"Shut up!" Hitsugaya jumped at him and Gin moved sideways. "I won't become a traitor like you!"

Gin gave Hitsugaya's neck a sharp hit before the captain could react and caught him as he fell. "You see, Shiro-chan, I'm not giving you a choice."

* * *

Gin pulled Toshiro along, the chain clinking as they walked.

_"I could make this easy or very painful for you, Shiro-chan." Gin tore away his clothes and gripped his face, defiant turquoise orbs glaring at him. Gin touched the cuffs restraining the captain and grinned. "You look so delicious like this Shiro-chan, it brings back so many memories doesn't it?"_

_He ran his hands down Hitsugaya's arms and his chest, toying with his pink nipples, a bright flush covering the younger's face._

Gin opened the doors and pulled Toshiro inside, the espada taking glances at the white haired captain. Toshiro kept his eyes down and followed Gin obediently to not bring attention to himself.

"Toshiro?" A familiar voice called.

Toshiro lifted his eyes and was surprised to see the orangette there.

"Kurosaki? What?" A yank on the chain had him quiet again, ignoring his surroundings.

"I see we've all been reacquainted. Would anyone like tea?"

_"Shiro-chan, you still turn red as a tomato all over." Gin exclaimed happily._

_Toshiro turned his face in embarrassment. He could feel himself getting hard and his skin burned with pleasure everywhere the older man touched. His body remembered.._

_"Your body does remember."Gin smiled, voicing his thoughts. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle."_

_Gin moved his hands lower and Toshiro jerked. "No! Don't!"_

_"Don't huh?" Gin smirked, pushing Toshiro's knees apart. "I don't think you're in any position to be making demands." He licked the captain's inner thigh and cackled at the breathy moan that left the boy's lips._

"How is he, Gin?" Aizen asked, smiling at the silent prisoner.

"He understands his situation." Gin responded. "I'm sure he's been well stimulated."

Aizen nodded. "Good. I'm glad it's to your liking."

"We're slowly succeeding, my dear espada. It's only a matter of time. But for now with the matters at hand."

_"Don't hold back your voice, Shiro-chan!" Gin frowned as the boy bit his hand to negate the pleasure he was receiving. "Stubborn are we? I'll make you scream."_

_He pushed a finger through the tight ring of muscles and smirked as Toshiro gasped at the intrusion. "It will only hurt worse if you don't relax." Gin said, adding a second finger. He stretched him slowly and watched his body arch as he passed over the bundle of nerves._

_"You're so responsive Shiro-chan. It makes me happy." Gin added another finger and frowned again when he realized the tears streaming down his little lover's face. "What's wrong?"_

_"Why?" Toshiro cried softly, his arms covering his face, "Why are you doing this to me?"_

_Gin leaned down and kissed the captain, taking advantage of his surprise and thrusting into him._

_Toshiro cried out, tears pricking his eyes. Gin hesitated for only a second, his body reevaluating the feeling of being reunited with the white haired captain. He pulled out to the head and pushed back in quickly, Toshiro whimpered softly, his hands straining against this binds. Gin released the cuffs and immediately Toshiro's arms went around his neck._

"This captain's appearance does not mean the Gotei 13 is making a move, especially since he came alone. I believe he acted on his own will and they will dub him as a traitor."

"Things seem to be going in our favor." Nnoitora cackled.

"Don't be stupid." Hallibel responded softly. "Things have not been determined."

"Nothing can go wrong, if you are with me." Aizen smiled.

Grimmjow stood and began walking away, pulling sharply on the chain that held Ichigo. "I'm done here."

Ichigo looked back at the silent Toshiro and wondered what could've happened to make the small captain submit so easily. Another tug to his chain and he turned away. It was no longer his business.

_"I will love you deeply, through your skin, past your flesh, all the way to your bones." Gin whispered, Toshiro's irregular breath hitting his face as they both came down from their orgasmic high. "I will make you forget about those things you once knew, until you know nothing but me. I can make things hard, I can make your life hell here and there's nothing you can do but say yes. You cannot defy me, and I won't allow anything else."_

_Toshiro was silent, the haze in his mind trying to process everything that was just said to him. He got himself stuck in this mess but there was nothing else that could be done. Gin had marked him, long before his betrayal and now he couldn't escape._

_"Your answer?" Gin hadn't added 'Shiro-chan' at the end and Toshiro knew it was serious._

_He opened his eyes and looked somewhere far outside the window and responded. "Anything for you."_

_Gin smirked and licked away the tears that left those turquoise eyes. "Yes, this is the way it has to be."_

* * *

WHAAAA? I made Hitsugaya Toshiro submissive to Gin? What was I thinking? Ha just kidding.


	3. Tres: Seireitei

Tres: Seireitei

* * *

All captains stood quietly in the Captain's Assembly Room bar captain's from squads three, five, nine, and ten. Sotaichou Yamamoto sat at the front of the room.

"Captain Hitsugaya from squad ten has gone into Hueco Mundo alone without orders to do so. He has yet to return. His reiatsu signature is untraceable from the Seireitei and we will give him a time line of three days to return before his death is recorded."

"If I may," Ukitake began, "can we not go to Hueco Mundo to search for the missing captain?"

"No." Yamamoto responded strongly. "Captain Hitsugaya went to Hueco Mundo on his own volition and that serves its own punishment. We will not risk anyone's life for the sake of someone who may very well be already dead."

"But-" Kyoraku put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Ukitake went silent and resumed his place.

"Tell this information to those you find it necessary. You are dismissed." Yamamoto grunted and the captains filtered out.

* * *

Hinamori sat silently, her arms wrapped around her as Rangiku stood beside her.

"Captain Hitsugaya has gone into Hueco Mundo alone and is believed to be dead." She lowered her gaze to the unresponsive girl next to her. "There will be no rescue party, no attempt at salvation, and he won't be coming back. I thought you would like to know." Rangiku walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Hinamori clutched herself tighter and trembled. "Hitsugaya-kun..."

* * *

"Captain Hitsugaya is missing?"

Those who were part of his team during their stay in the World of the Living were particularly shocked. Rangiku, Yumichika, Ikkaku, and Renji were in a room together discussing.

"But why?" Renji questioned.

"If I knew I would've stopped him. There was no note, no message, no nothing. I don't know why."

"He didn't have a reason unless he was going for his own death. He should've known that going alone was suicide." Renji slammed his hands on the table.

"His methods were ugly," Yumichika responded as he flipped his hair. "He could've thought of a better method of suicide."

"Is that all you can think about?" Renji roused. "Captain Hitsugaya may be alive and in trouble and we are sitting here doing nothing!"

"Renji, calm down." Rangiku sighed. "We aren't doing anything because we can't do anything. What can we do right now? We aren't prepared yet and that's why Sotaichou Yamamoto isn't doing anything yet. Until Aizen makes a move there's nothing we can do."

"I just don't get it." Renji punched the table again and silence covered the group uncomfortably.

* * *

"I don't get it!" Ukitake paced around Kyoraku's room, his frustration not allowing him to relax.

"Sit down." Kyoraku sighed from his place on the floor. "You'll make yourself sick."

"How can you just sit there and relax when one of our captains is in danger?" Ukitake growled, pinching his nose when a headache came on.

"Come here and I'll show you a way to relax." Kyoraku ushered.

Ukitake moved closer and gasped when he was pulled down next to the perverted captain. He was immediately sucked into a kiss and blushed deeply.

"Kyora-mnng," he broke the kiss and cried out when his growing erection was groped through his robes. "Nanao-san," he complained.

"She won't be back soon," Kyoraku replied, continuing his ministrations. "Don't worry. I've been wanting you to myself for awhile. Let me enjoy it."

Kyoraku's only response was a breathy moan as his white haired lover pushed off his kimono and haori.

* * *

"Hisagi-san, what are we going to do?" Kira asked as they sat upon the roof of a random building.

"What do you mean?" The dark haired lieutenant responded. His head was in the blonde's lap, his eyes closed as Kira ran his fingers through his short spiked hair.

"About this whole situation with Captain Hitsugaya?"

"We won't do anything right now. You know how the old man is. We'll be marked as traitors if we go against his wishes."

"But it's so frustrating." Hisagi pulled him down by his bangs and kissed him silent.

"You talk too much."

"That hurt you know," Kira frowned, rubbing his head where his hair was pulled.

"Then quit talking and I won't pull it. Simple as that."

* * *

"Onii-sama, how did the captain's meeting go?" Rukia asked as her brother settled at his desk at the Kuchiki Estate.

"Captain Hitsugaya has gone missing in Hueco Mundo and is known as dead until there is proof he's alive." Byakuya drawled.

"Captain Hitsugaya?" Rukia echoed. "He went alone?"

"Yes. You can leave now, I have work to do."

"Yes." She bowed and left, closing the door softly behind her.

She ran out of the estate and toward the Senkaimon. Maybe Urahara would know something.

* * *

This chapter was annoying for me but I dealt with it. The next chapter will be out soon to make up for this horrid one. I probably won't do many chapters taking place in Soul Society, it's a bit annoying. I hope you liked it. It was mostly a filler of everyone's reaction to Hitsugaya's disappearance.


	4. Cuatro: Hueco Mundo

Cuatro: Hueco Mundo

* * *

I wanted to name this story _Cliché _and you'll see why.

* * *

"How long have I been here?" Ichigo asked quietly to the blue haired espada.

Grimmjow gave him an annoyed look and rolled his eyes. "Don't ask me stupid questions. I don't fucking know."

"But-" Ichigo began but Grimmjow sat on the bed and he closed his mouth.

"I don't know because the moon never moves. Now ask me another stupid question and I might do something you won't like." The espada growled.

"Yes, of course." Ichigo laid on his side toward the wall, his back to Grimmjow.

A part of him wanted to cry, the frustration of not being able to know anything was annoying. But he stomped down that idea with the thought of all the teasing he'd be subjected to.

He could feel Grimmjow staring at him and jumped when there was a knock at the door. Grimmjow sighed with annoyance and went to see who it was. There was a soft voice that filtered through the air and the unmistakable sound of Grimmjow punching the wall.

The door was slammed and Ichigo flinched as the bed dipped. Grimmjow's fingers tangled through his hair and pulled him from his laying position. Ichigo cried out and gripped his hands and Grimmjow's scowling face was in his own.

"Shut up!" He threw Ichigo back on the bed and the Shinigami curled up, wondering what was said for him to go into this rage. He grabbed his hands and secured them with the cuffs on the bed.

"What did I do?" Ichigo asked, having nothing to protect himself with. The flare and anger in Grimmjow's eyes only increased and Ichigo felt a spark of fear run through him.

"Shut up." Grimmjow forcibly pushed Ichigo's legs apart, pulled off his own pants, and pushed into him without preparation or lubrication. Ichigo screamed and shut his eyes tightly as pain worked to override his systems. He immediately started moving and Ichigo felt the internal skin tear giving little lubrication with the blood. He pushed with his legs to try to get Grimmjow off but the blunet gripped them tight enough to bruise. He pushed in deeper and although that would have felt good for Ichigo at any other moment, it only hurt worse. Grimmjow leaned down and bit his neck, and the feeling burned through Ichigo's body as if Grimmjow had taken a chunk of flesh with him. His vision went black, his body unable to take anymore pain. Grimmjow came only moments after, a shiver of satisfaction ran through him as orgasm washed over him.

He pulled out of the limp body before him and felt only a tiny flicker of guilt and worry as the blood gathered on the blanket under his ass and on his neck, only a flicker before it disappeared.

He went to the door and called someone to get the boy and take him to Szayel before leaving his quarters. He looked over his shoulder as Ichigo was carried away and snorted and wondered why he felt strange inside. But it didn't matter, he would be going away and wouldn't see his annoying pet for awhile. He was just glad he got a decent fuck out of him before he left. He went to see Aizen for whatever mission he was being sent on.

* * *

The room was cold and dark, the sound of dripping water and the stale scent of iron hit his nose. He tried to move and his eyes shot open when he realized he couldn't. He was tied to a chair and he struggled only for a moment before the previous pain came back to him.

"Oh?" A voice echoed, "it seems our captive is awake."

Ichigo froze at the voice and winced when bright light assaulted his eyes. "What?"

"Is that all you can say? Here I am giving you a warm welcome and all you say is what. How rude."

"What am I doing here?" Ichigo asked again.

Szayel chuckled and gave him a condescending look. "Didn't you know? Grimmjow has gone away for awhile so I get to keep you until he comes back. Don't worry, I'll have lots of fun with you. I'll never be bored."

"Why?" Ichigo questioned again, his heart rate spiking. "Why would he?"

"Your panic is amusing Shinigami." Szayel smirked. "He handed you over after he did a number on you."

Ichigo watched Szayel warily as he moved around the room. "I have something I want to try on you Shinigami, I think you might like the outcome." Szayel came close with a syringe full of a green liquid and the orangette panicked. How could Grimmjow leave him with this psycho? There was nowhere he could go, and watched helplessly as the needle disappeared into his skin with the greenish liquid. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as his body convulsed before going still.

"Move him to a table," Szayel ordered one of his Fracción and walked away. Oh how he would have fun with breaking Grimmjow's pet. He wouldn't remember his own name by the time he was done.

He grabbed a blade and went to the unconscious boy and slit his throat, blood gushing out before the skin began repairing itself without a scar. Szayel grinned with the knowledge that his serum worked and stared at the orangette. He would have fun.

Ichigo stared blankly at the immaculate ceiling of Szayel's lab, glad he could catch a break even if it was a numb break. He was heavily drugged and the abuse never stopped. He learned the hard way how well the green serum worked when he woke up and was half castrated, his groin in deep agony as it happened and the suffocating pain as his skin and nerve endings reattached themselves and healed perfectly. He threw up terribly before being jabbed with another needle.

He didn't miss this part. When he was first restrained as Grimmjow's pet, he was taken to Szayel for a deep cleaning and nourishment drugs. He was constantly being stuck with a needle and sometimes even hooked to an IV. At least eight times a day. He was sure it had to have been a few days since he was there, his body felt like it had been a few days. He would never admit it out loud but he missed the blue haired espada and wished he would hurry up and finish what he had to do even if he had raped him beforehand.

A rag suddenly covered his face and water followed it. He choked as he took in a mouthful of water in his surprise and attempted to reach out even though his was tied down. The rag was lifted from his face before being put down again and water poured onto his face. He coughed and sputtered as he tried to move his head but it was useless. He wouldn't give in, no matter how many times Szayel tried to drown him, kill him, force him to do whatever he wanted him to do, he wouldn't give in, he wouldn't.

"I see you're awake." Szayel smiled after the water boarding was done. "That fire still seems to be in your eyes, don't worry, I won't let it stay long."

Ichigo felt a pinch on his arm and his tired eyes blurred more. "Sleep now, you won't be the same when you wake."

* * *

"Ichi-nii!" Ichigo shot up and gasped. "Ichi-nii, wake up! You going to be late for school!"

Ichigo looked around his room in confusion. What was he doing here? He was just in Hueco Mundo in Szayel's lab being tested on like a rat. He got off his bed and went down the stairs to see if it was real.

"My darling son!" He dodged his father and looked around. There was nothing out of order, his sisters were looking at him strangely and Isshin was crying in the corner as usual.

"When did I get back?" He asked and they gave him weird looks.

"Did you go somewhere Ichi-nii?"

"Yeah, I went on a trip..." He faltered and looked around in confusion. What was going on? "Sorry," he grinned, "it must have been a dream. I'm going to get ready for school."

He ran upstairs and scratched his head. What happened after he passed out?

He put on his school uniform and frowned. He hadn't seen Rukia at all. He went back downstairs with his school bag and asked. "Has anyone seen Rukia?"

"Rukia?" Karin asked. "Who's that?"

"You know she-" He paused. What was going on? Was he dreaming?

"Are you sure you're okay Ichi-nii?" Yuzu inquired. "You're acting strange."

"No, no I'm okay." He smiled, "see you later."

His trip to school was no different.

"Ohayo Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime was still her same bubbly self but the fact that she was there surprised him. When had she been rescued?

"Ichigo!" He unconsciously put his arm up to block himself from Keigo's attack and as usual the brunette fell to the ground and clutched his face while crying dramatically. He was still the same, Orihime was the same, Ishida was still the quiet bastard and Chad was still cool and indifferent, and nothing had changed.

"Has Rukia been here?" He asked and he received the same strange looks his family gave him.

"Who's Rukia?"

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"A new student?"

He shook his head and sat in front of Ishida. "When did we get back from Hueco Mundo?"

"What are you on about Kurosaki?"

"What's going on? Why doesn't anyone remember?"

"Are you crazy or something? First you talk about people and places that don't exist and now you're asking why anyone doesn't remember. Maybe you need help."

"Do you need the nurse, Kurosaki-kun?"

He stared at his friends widely. What was going on? He didn't understand why no one remembered.

"Ishida, you're a Quincy, and I'm a Shinigami, you don't like me remember? You hate shinigami and we never got along remember?"

Ishida looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "What the hell are you high on Kurosaki? Are you delirious with fever or something?"

Ichigo stood in shock. No one remembered. There was no way all that stuff didn't happen. And he knew he didn't dream it all.

He rushed from the classroom and out of school to the only person that could give him answers. But as ran and arrived at the place he knew he was supposed to be, it wasn't there.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

Urahara Shoten wasn't there. The spot where the shop should've be was just an empty lot. His heart pounded in his chest and he couldn't catch his breath. He leaned against the fence and grabbed his chest. There had to be an explanation for all of it, all of that time couldn't have just disappeared from everyone's lives.

He decided to go home, his head spinning in shock. What exactly happened, did he really dream it all?

He stumbled into his house and to his room before collapsing on his bed. A part of him thought he should be happy that all of it never happened, that he was returned to his world and that he never had to deal with it again. His overwhelming feelings stuck to his brain as he fell asleep.

There was a knock at his door, incessant and annoying, but seemed urgent. He got out of bed and opened his door to see Yuzu staring sadly at him. "Ichi-nii..." she started.

"What is it, Yuzu?" He asked, dread filling his stomach. "What happened?"

Tears fell from her eyes and she sniffled. "The administration from your school called and asked if you were home."

"Why?"

"There was a fire at the school but your friends and a few teachers were still inside when it blew up. They thought you were with them so they wanted to make sure your body hadn't been vaporized. They were only able to collect pieces and ashes of your friends."

"W-who?" He asked shakily. There had been a fire when he wasn't there.

"They said Yasutora Sado, and Uryu Ishida had been found. Inoue Orihime made it with severe third degree burns and they're hoping she'll survive but the odds are against her and Arisawa Tatsuki died when the explosion threw her from the fourth floor. They haven't found Asano Keigo or Kojima Mizuiro yet. They're still trying to put out the fire."

Ichigo's breath caught in his throat. "Thank you for telling me, Yuzu." He said mechanically, his feet leading him downstairs.

"Where are you going?"

"To the hospital, to see Inoue." He went to the genkan and slipped on his shoes. My friends are dead. My friends are dead. He couldn't bring the thought to be believed in his head. He left the house and started off slow to the hospital, his throat closing as tears threatened to fall. His feet moved quicker and quicker until he was running through the streets trying his hardest to get to the hospital as fast as possible.

He wasn't going to make it, the anxiety tightening his chest. How was he supposed to deal with this? He couldn't go to the school to see for himself, he might puke if it were true and although he didn't doubt his sister, the thought wasn't settled properly in his head.

His limbs ached, and the exhaustion settled in as the hospital came into sight. He entered the door and immediately went to the front desk, his head spinning and his breath coming in short gasps. "Inoue...Orihime! ..What room?" He gasped.

The woman behind the desk watched him with concern before looking up what he asked her. He face darkened and Ichigo knew, he knew before the words came from her mouth.

"I'm so sorry." She responded quietly, her voice barely audible with the pounding in his ears. "She didn't make it to the hospital. Her body went into cardiac arrest from shock in the ambulance. Her body is being transferred to the morgue as we speak because she has no known living family members to dispose of her body properly."

Ichigo crouched slowly, his legs giving out with the news. They believed she would make it despite the odds being against her. He felt a hand on his back and ignored it, his blood running rampant through his body. How could this happen? They were just there, how could they be gone so quickly? Inoue's bright atmosphere, Ishida's annoying logic, Chad's silent observing, Keigo's hyper side, Mizuiro's teasing, and Tatsuki's protectiveness. They were things he had gotten used to, things he had enjoyed, things he had taken for granted, and now they were gone. He stood quietly, startling the people who had surrounded him.

He walked out of the hospital and ignored their questions of concern and pleas to stay until he couldn't hear them anymore. The streets were busy but the world around him felt numb like all the life had been sucked out of him. It was darker near his house, the sky and moon blocked with clouds dampening his mood further.

He entered his house and immediately knew there was something wrong. The air was too cold and a strange scent filled his nose. He went into the living room and his dad was laying on the couch sleeping, the TV flickering in the dark. He still couldn't figure out what that smell was but knew it wasn't anything good.

He shook his father. "Oi, go to bed, you'll catch a cold." The man didn't move and the smell was really bothering him. He felt nauseous and dizzy but shook his old man again. "Oi!"

He wondered why but he pressed a hand to the man's neck and backed away when he felt no pulse. Then it clicked in his mind what the smell was. There was a gas leak in the house somewhere and it killed his father while he was out of the house. He pushed those feelings aside to go and check on his sisters but their bodies were limp and unmoving. His feet took him back down stairs and outside where he reached for his phone and took some deep breaths.

"This is the Karakura Police Department, what is your emergency?"

"My family is dead." He said blankly, the words like syrup on his tongue.

"What is your address? I'll send help immediately."

Ichigo named off the address of the clinic and sat in the street. He waited and waited, the emotions he wished he felt not sinking in. He'd just lost everything in one night. Some divine being really hated him to push such unfortunate events on him. He felt numb and there was a ringing in his ears that made him feel crazy. How badly he wanted to cry but couldn't because of such numbness. He looked up as the flashing lights came into his sight, the officers getting out of their cars, going to him, going into his house and he watched. He felt so detached as they put him into a police car and drove away, taking him to the police station. He closed his eyes and hugged himself, never wanting to open them again.

* * *

Szayel laughed to himself. It had been three days since Ichigo had woken up screaming from his realistic nightmare.

The orangette had tried convincing himself it was only a dream but Szayel had given him a realistic human newspaper he'd created to solidify his plan. "I took that from the human world." Szayel smiled. "You were unconscious when we brought you here. And I wanted to show you why you are here, what you don't have to go back to."

Ichigo stared at the paper, the images flashing in his brain.

_'Karakura High School went up in a fiery explosion due to a chain reaction of chemical labs exploding. A faulty electrical socket started a fire in the science labs of the high school after hours of classes and flammable chemicals and gas tanks to heat hot plates and other science equipment exploded leaving no way to exit the building. Arisawa Tatsuki (17), Asano Keigo (17), Kojima Mizuiro (17), Inoue Orihime (17), Uryu Ishida (17), and Yasutora Sado (17), and four unidentified teachers perished in the fire. There were no other serious injuries.'_

Ichigo dropped the paper and Szayel put a hand on his head. "Grimmjow is all you have now. You have nothing else. I'll show you how to be the perfect pet for Grimmjow when he returns. He'll never be angry with you."

Ichigo was silent, the light leaving his eyes as he resigned himself to his fate.

"What do you say Shinigami?"

"Show me how to be perfect for the one I belong to."

A genuine smile graced Szayel's lips, his ego rising as his plan the break the Shinigami worked. His smiled widened as the gothic six that was imprinted onto Grimmjow's back printed perfectly on the orangette's neck. The six was surrounded by a purplish bruise, teeth marks finally fading, and the red swelling around it slowly fading. He rubbed it with a gloved finger and Ichigo barely twitched. Yes, he would have fun putting them together like a puzzle. It would be his greatest project yet.

* * *

I found so much amusement writing this. I thought it was just beautiful. Ugh, I think Yumichika's personality is rubbing off on me. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed it! See you next chapter!


	5. Cinco: Hueco Mundo

Cinco: Hueco Mundo

Toshiro sighed as he looked around the room he was in. The bed was soft and the window showed the dank darkness outside. He only had the view of the white sands and the black night sky, not even the crescent moon was in his sights but he could see the shadow casted by its light.

The door opened but he kept his attention to the window. The sheet and thick, fluffy duvet covered his nakedness but he couldn't help but to look at the intruder as the bed dipped. Gin gave him a warm smile, very unlike his usual foxish grin. He set a covered plate on the table next to Toshiro and stroked his hair.

"I'm sorry."

The words echoed around the room and Toshiro stared at Gin wide eyed. Gin wasn't smiling and his expression was melancholy and remorseful. Gin pulled Toshiro close and held him, the other too surprised to move. "I've done terrible things to you Toshiro and I've wiped the smile from your lips and stripped you of your happiness. And so I'm sorry."

"You.." Toshiro began but Gin held a finger to his lips.

"The war has started. I have to go the World of the Living and fight with him."

"I'll go-" Gin shook his head.

"You're going to stay here. You'll stay here until I return and if I don't return, the Fracción under my command has orders to release you and give you passage to Seireitei."

"Gin..."

"It's my only apology. There is nothing for me beside you." Gin pressed his lips to Toshiro's forehead then to his lips and pulled away. He stood and paused when a hand grabbed his wrist.

"Promise," Toshiro whispered.

"What was that?"

"Promise you'll come back. You can't abandon me like this so you have to come back."

Gin smiled and Toshiro let him go. There was nothing else he could do to make the man stay. As the door shut, dread filled his stomach and he ran to empty his breakfast in the bathroom. Wiping his mouth, he went back into the main room and looked curiously at the covered plate. He lifted the cover and a grin spread over his face. Bright red slices of watermelon stared back at him with an extra bowl to place his seeds. The grin never left as he sat on the edge of the bed and took a bite from a piece avoiding the seeds and spitting them into the separate bowl.

It didn't take him long at all to finish the pieces he was given and as if on cue, the door opened as he set down the last piece.

"Ichimaru-sama has asked me to take care of you during his absence. Please dispose of me however you wish."

Toshiro blushed and looked away. He wasn't sure how to react in this situation, sure that Gin was teasing him at that point.

Unfazed with the lack of response, the arrancar moved closer to the boy and Toshiro jerked and moved away.

"I am not here to harm you," the arrancar said, "I have come to take your tray and draw a bath. I shall leave then if you wish."

Toshiro only nodded dumbly as the arrancar took the tray and left the room. Yes, Gin had to have been teasing him horribly.

The arrancar had been at his beck and call the entire time. Toshiro found that the arrancar was female that looked as if she was a boy with feminine features. She was kind but didn't talk much and her voice was so neutral he probably wouldn't have been able to tell she was female if she hadn't told him.

"Can I go out?" Toshiro asked suddenly as he watched the girl change the bed sheets.

"I don't see why not. I have to go with you of course."

She had told him that she was nameless, having forgotten her own name and no one else nor herself bothering to give her a new one. He offered to give her a name and she readily accepted her new name.

"I shall accept any name you bestow upon me. No one has ever been so kind to me."

Toshiro smiled nostalgically, he had felt the same way. "Rika. It means forever strong. Stay forever strong and dispel your loneliness inside. We can be friends to stave of our loneliness."

She liked her new name and accepted it with earnest. "Would you like to take a walk now? I have clothes prepared for you."

Toshiro nodded and smiled softly as she handed him a pair of white pants and a white shirt with a slit down the middle. "I shall await until you return."

Toshiro nodded and went into the bathroom to change. He was excited to get out of the stuffy room even though he was sure that the sandy air of Hueco Mundo wouldn't be any better, it would be great to get out.

He changed quickly and met Rika who waited patiently and smiled at his excitement. They left Gin's quarters and walked down the halls. They were mostly empty, most fraccion either dead or fighting and the other arrancar out of the way. Toshiro became nervous when they entered a main corridor from Gin's chambers. There were more arrancar roaming freely than he had thought and with many eyes on him, he felt apprehensive without his Hyorinmaru.

He hadn't realized he'd stopped walking until Rika put her hand on his back. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe. Don't show them your fear or they will take advantage of it. We are simply out for a walk."

Toshiro nodded and continued as steady pace beside his caretaker, his mind calmed as he concentrated on keeping with her steps.

"I am prohibited from taking you from the castle." Rika started as she focused on her ward and ignored her surroundings. "I wish we could exit but it is dangerous out there for someone unarmed. Would you like to go to the inner of Las Noches where the synthetic sun and sky are?"

Toshiro nodded enthusiastically. Anywhere but the dim and dark prison where he was stuck would be fine.

A shadow crossed their vision and they looked to the tall, heavy arrancar that stepped in their way.

"Oi! How dare you ignore higher ranking arrancar around you?" He bellowed, his belly round but firm, huge arms settled widely around his form, and long yet fat legs making him stand around seven feet. "You greet us with respect!"

"Move out of the way, Golum. You have no business with us." Rika said strongly, her stance confident and showed no fear in the eyes of this monster.

"You've gotten quite cocky haven't you?" The large arrancar laughed loudly, "you're nothing!"

He lifted an arm and hit Rika, her body flew like a ragdoll and smacked into the opposite wall. Pieces of the wall and dust like debris floated and Rika hit the floor, limp.

"Rika!" Toshiro attempted to go to her, but the huge arrancar stopped him.

"So this puny thing is what Ichimaru-sama has warming his bed! Pathetic!" Golum lifted his arm again and Toshiro's mind shut down for only a second, but even that was too much time. He was unarmed and unprotected, how much worse could it get?

"Burn, Kasaihana."

He watched blankly as his vision became encased with flames. Rika stood in front of him, holding the fist that would have connected with his body if only a second later.

Her resurrección was beautiful, bone fragments covering her body like armor, and tiny pieces that poked out like the spines of a hedgehog randomly all over her body.

His attention returned to the fight that progressed in front of him. A thought in the back of his mind wondered why he wasn't fighting and why he was letting a girl fight for him but the logical part insisted it was because he didn't have a weapon and couldn't really protect himself if he wanted to.

Golum stepped back and sneered at Rika. "You're disgusting, trying to protect that shinigami." He charged back at her but her sonido was quicker than his movements and she moved herself and Toshiro out of the way.

"Please, don't move. Let me handle this dumb oaf." Rika nodded and Toshiro nodded back. She went back and continued to fight, and succeeded in exhausting Golum and forcing him to bring out his sword. They fought intensely, Rika constantly pushing the huge arrancar back but his heart skipped a beat when Golum kicked Rika sending her through a wall.

"Swallow 'em whole, Gluttonn!" Golum grew bigger and his mask fragment surrounded his face. Toshiro watched some of the other arrancar back away at his reiatsu but Toshiro could only watch in amazement and apprehension at this battle between arrancar. Rika crawled back through the hole in the wall and Golum rolled himself up like an armadillo and went flying at her. She barely dodged as he charged at her before changing direction and coming at her again. Toshiro felt Rika's reiatsu spike and she put her hands out in front of her. She stopped Golum's attack and watched as he unrolled and screamed as skin began to burn away from his body. He waved his limbs around and caught Rika with his foot as skin continued to burn. She seemed exhausted and couldn't avoid it in time; her foot caught on a piece of debris and she fell back.

Golum seemed to gain his bearings for a moment as he lifted his hand, charged, and shot a cero at Rika. Toshiro watched in horror as it hit her, and her body disappeared behind the light.

His body moved then, he couldn't sit there and let the girl who saved him die. "Hado 31: Shakkaho!" His kido hit its target and he rushed to Rika. She was hurt badly but he had no way to assess her wounds.

"How dare you!" Golum regained himself and went to aim another cero when a voice froze everything.

"What could be going on here?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and the footsteps that accompanied it sounded even louder then.

"Szayel-sama..."

The pink haired espada grinned, happy with the attention he pulled. "I believe I asked a question."

"A f-fight, Szayel-sama." One arrancar responded.

"Oh? What for?"

"Golum attacked Ichimaru-sama's pet and the arrancar who cares for him."

Szayel looked to the large arrancar who watched with fear and then to Toshiro and the unconscious Rika.

A grin spread over Szayel's face and he turned to Golum. "Would you like to be a test subject?"

Golum hesitated, "ah, no, I mean, ah-"

He was immediately incinerated and Szayel sighed dramatically. "You're supposed to agree wholeheartedly and beg me to let you be a test subject. Now look at you. Dead."

Many arrancar backed away or fled, but Szayel paid them no mind. He stepped to Toshiro who cradled Rika's body close and held her as he watched Szayel. "I suppose it would be rude of me to be cruel to a person who Gin-sama holds close. And I definitely can't hurt you so whatever shall I do?"

Toshiro watched as Szayel placed his fingertips to his forehead before asking, "can you save her?"

Szayel looked to the ceiling before drawing his eyes back to Toshiro dramatically. "You want me to save this little thing? It'd be better off dead."

"She's not a thing!" Toshiro shouted, "she has a name and feelings and if you can't help her, I'll find someone who will!"

Szayel huffed and found no reason to upset the boy further. "Fine."

He took Rika and ushered for Toshiro to follow him. He was sure his lab would frighten the tiny captain but he could care less. He ignored his fracción as he entered his lab and put the half dead arrancar on a table, none too gently.

Toshiro immediately went to the girl and he turned away to find the materials he would need. A flash of orange caught his eye and his eyes met with dull brown ones peeking from behind a door.

"Ichigo, why are you being nosy?"

The teen behind the door flinched and showed himself more, naked legs and bare feet visible, a long shirt just covering his nude privates. His hair was in disarray but a small smile crossed his lips.

"Szayel-sama, you have returned." Ichigo crossed the room slowly and looked curiously at girl on the table. "Did you find a new subject?"

"No, I have agreed to save her."

"Save her?" Ichigo looked again at Rika and frowned. "Why?"

Szayel frowned and looked behind him. "You have a friend over there, go say hello."

Ichigo's brows furrowed and he went around the table to meet with surprised turquoise eyes.

"Kurosaki?" Toshiro questioned.

"Ah, it's Toshiro!" Ichigo smiled but the spark of recognition Toshiro expected to see never came. "Szayel-sama, why is Toshiro here?"

"He wants me to save his caretaker there, he doesn't want her to die." Szayel uncapped a syringe and walked to Rika. He stabbed it in her side and walked away. "You can stay here until she regains consciousness and then you have to leave. I can't have you disturbing the peace. Ichigo, only a few minutes and then you have to come."

"Okay~" Ichigo frowned and then turned back to Toshiro with a smile. "So, she's been caring for you? Sounds fun to have someone pretty looking out for you."

"I guess.." Toshiro watched the orangette ramble on like he lived in a carefree world. He couldn't figure out why he wasn't fighting tooth and nail to get out of this place, especially since he'd been kidnapped but he supposed the situation didn't allow for it. Still, he shouldn't be this relaxed, should he?

"What's the matter? Is there something on my face?" Ichigo asked finally.

"Kurosaki, what did they do to you?"

Ichigo tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Ichigo, come." The orangette stood at Szayel's voice and waved at Toshiro.

"Bye, I'll see you." He trotted away and Toshiro vaguely heard the conversation between the espada and the former shinigami before things went silent.

"I told you not to disturb the peace." Szayel said, coming back to the table.

"I just wanted to know what happened to the strong willed, never give up, Kurosaki Ichigo." Toshiro bit out.

"Oh," Szayel grinned, "he went away, I've retrained him to be a perfect, obedient pet for when Grimmjow returns."

"You're despicable."

Szayel shrugged. "I've been called worse. And I would rethink insulting me, I still have to means to kill her, and you for that matter."

Toshiro closed his mouth and never opened it again, waiting patiently for Rika to wake up. It was a few hours later when she did and Toshiro wasted no time getting them away from the deranged espada.

Ichigo woke up then and went back out into the main part of the lab. "Did Toshiro leave already?"

Szayel nodded and looked up from the data he collected from the girl. "Yes, he didn't want to stay for too long."

"Oh, okay." Ichigo scratched his head and looked around.

Szayel watched him with amusement and sighed. "Go on, what do you want?"

Ichigo blushed and pulled at his shirt. "Did Grimmjow come back yet?"

Szayel laughed at the question he was asked everyday and sent Ichigo off to bathe with the same response. "No, not yet."


	6. Seis: Hueco Mundo

Seis: Hueco Mundo

* * *

I feel like it took me forever and a day to get this done.

_What? Grimmjow is home?_

* * *

Grimmjow snorted in frustration punching at least three holes in the walls on his way back to his quarters. He killed two arrancar who got in his way and although he didn't show it, he was just relieved the fighting was over. He wanted to just lay in his bed and sleep for a decade. His mind was hazy and he knew that Aizen had been defeated just from that. His anger toward the world had surfaced and bubbled over after the hypnosis had dispersed and even he knew his thin patience wouldn't hold out for very long. He sucked his teeth and huffed angrily, his baser instincts having been suppressed for so long made him irritated and he felt anger bubbling over again at the thought of needing to see that pink haired bastard for anything.

He felt the overwhelming need the choke the next thing he saw in sight but sagged almost when he entered his chambers. Aizen was gone, he was exhausted and his body needed healing. Ignoring his grime covered body, he fell on his bed with a poof, asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Szayel felt the sanity come back to him quick and hard. His head spun and his vision darkened. He attempted to grab at the nearest table and ended up flipping a tray of tools onto the floor. Ichigo came out at the noise and was shocked to find Szayel on the floor clutching his head.

"Szayel-sama!" Ichigo knelt next to the pink haired espada and Szayel pushed him away roughly.

"Get away!" Ichigo cowered and crawled away, clutching to the leg of the table as if it could protect him. "Szayel-sama, what's the matter?"

"Go back in there!" Szayel ushered quickly to the room where Ichigo stayed. "Now!" He shouted when Ichigo hesitated.

The orangette ran to his room and shut the door. He sat on the floor, covered his ears and closed his eyes to block out the sounds and images of Szayel on the floor, screaming.

Aizen's complete hypnosis had affected Szayel almost as bad as it affected Ulquiorra, his senses and emotions fully suppressed. As his mind processed through the things he had gone so long without, he felt everything. The pain, sadness, relief, happiness, regret, guilt, glee, frustration, everything. His head felt like it was being split open and reconstructed at the same time. Unimaginable pain.

He could hear the screaming in his ears without realizing it was his own. All throughout his lab, the screams echoed and suddenly stopped. Szayel's body was prone on the ground next to the table and tools, his mind going through the turmoil alone.

Ichigo never moved, his hands still covered his ears but he thought he could still hear them echoing in his head.

"Please stop..."

-x-

"...Gri..."

A grunt.

"Grimmj..."

Stir. Turn over.

"Grimmjow! . . .up! Wake up!"

Hazy blue eyes opened slowly, staring at nothing in front of him before he heard his name again. His eyes fluttered up to meet with frantic golden ones.

"What the hell?" He was about to throw a fit and kill the pink haired Espada but he was grabbed.

"Look, I know now is not the time but I've done something terrible. You need to see this."

He pulled Grimmjow into a sitting position and the blunet rubbed a hand over his face. How long had he been sleeping? He was pulled again and he wanted to punch Szayel into oblivion. "It's about Kurosaki Ichigo."

Grimmjow perked at hearing his pet's name but then figured it couldn't be anything good if it involved Szayel. He stood and Szayel ushered him quickly to follow. As they made their way to his lab Szayel gave a vague description. "I wish I could really explain to you what happened while you were gone. It's only been a month but your pet has changed in a way you probably won't like."

"Just spit it out. What did you do to him?"

Szayel sighed at the brute's incompetence. "It would be better if I showed you." Szayel went and unlocked the door to his lab, not to keep Ichigo in but to keep other pesky things out. Szayel walked in first, keeping the door open so Grimmjow could enter before shutting it immediately.

Ichigo was sitting on a metal table swinging his feet, staring at the ceiling blankly. His eyes were distant and slightly sad but he looked more like a lost child than the strong shinigami he once was.

Grimmjow stared but remained quiet. He was sure Szayel was planning something but he didn't want to fall into anything weird.

"Terrible, isn't it?" Szayel sighed. "I didn't mean to break him this bad. He was so strong willed and when Aizen gave me the orders to ruin him..." Szayel sighed again and pushed two fingers to his temple. "You know how that worked."

"Why does he look like that?" Grimmjow questioned as the boy didn't seem to notice them yet.

"With the help of some mind altering drugs and some intense motivation, I've change him completely. He's not mindless and his reiryoku hasn't changed but he's extremely submissive and docile. He's come to believe that the entirety of his family and friends perished in the World of the Living. He believes he doesn't have anything to live for and the the only thing he has left is us, more appropriately, you. When I told him such news he asked me to make him perfect for the one he belongs to." Szayel cleared his throat to catch the attention of the boy on the table.

Ichigo looked toward the door with a smile but it immediately faded when he caught sight of Szayel's guest.

Grimmjow grinned. "What's the matter Berry? I heard you're looking for me."

"Gr-Grimmjow-sama..."

"Fuck." Grimmjow snorted. "Don't give me that -sama shit. It's annoying."

Ichigo bowed his head. "Of course." He could feel Grimmjow's eyes on him and he trembled under the stare.

Why was it like this? This man, this monster raped him and then left him behind with a madman and suddenly reappears like nothing happened. It was frustrating but he couldn't open his mouth to complain.

Grimmjow frowned before threading his hand through orange locks. He pulled and the motion jerked the orangette's head back, a cry of pain fell beautifully from sinful lips.

Grimmjow licked his own and blurry chocolates stared back at him. "We're leaving."

"Okay." A whisper replied back to him.

He pulled Ichigo from the table and toward the door but Szayel stopped him before they could leave.

"I don't know if you've noticed Grimmjow," Szayel gave him and powerful look, "Aizen is gone. Barragan never returned and Starrk is in a coma. Harribel is mourning her Fracción, I know that Tosen was killed and I haven't heard about Ichimaru. Nnoitora is dead, Ulquiorra is being himself, Zommari was killed as well as Yammy and Aaroniero. You could have your wish granted. You could be king."

Grimmjow paused and thought for a moment. He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "Dose him. Make sure he stays asleep for a few days because that's what I'm going to do. When I wake up I'll take over if that's how it's going to be."

Szayel nodded and quickly went and returned with a syringe. He stuck Ichigo quickly and the boy was out cold before he could protest. Grimmjow carried his limp body and Szayel stopped him one last time. He laid Ichigo's collar on his stomach and sighed.

"There's one more thing I thought you should know." He pulled back the shirt from Ichigo's neck displaying the black six there. The bruising had almost faded but Grimmjow tightened his grip on the orangette. "I found it after I took him in for you. I figured you hadn't realized you marked him because if you had you wouldn't have left him alone for more than a month like you did. Either that or Aizen's Kyokasuigetsu suppressed those instincts. You'll want to take care of this as soon as possible."

Grimmjow gave a curt nod and left the lab. Szayel smiled and went on his way, that was as close of a thank you that he was going to get.

-x-

Ichigo sighed and pulled at his collar. He was alone and waiting for Grimmjow to return to his chambers. The man has changed seriously since he returned. He seemed mellow, thoughtful, sometimes silent as if he were pondering the secrets of the world. It was strange and put the orangette on edge because he wasn't used to seeing the espada that way. There was also the fact that the usually insatiable sex drive of the blunet had disappeared and he hadn't made a move to touch Ichigo at all, even going in a fit of rage when the orangette tried to make a move.

Grimmjow seemed to be angry with the orangette. Before he left, he seemed more caring surprisingly, giving weird but random soft affectionate touches, his motions weren't as harsh and he talked more. Now though, it seemed that Ichigo was always doing something wrong, he was always making Grimmjow angry, he didn't even sleep in the blunet's main quarters anymore, instead slept in the room where his punishment usually took place, in the dark and alone because Grimmjow never wanted to see him when he came back from whatever duties he'd been bestowed.

He was sitting on the floor in the tiled bathroom wondering why it was the way it was. He knew that Las Noches had been remade by Aizen to his tastes but the components of reishi never really made sense to him anyway. He heard the door open but made no attempt to move. What would it matter anyway? Grimmjow didn't want to see him and whether he went out to greet him or not the result would be the same; shouting, insults, and violence.

"Oi! Ichi-pet! The hell you doing?" Ichigo flinched but kept his place. What was he thinking? Being rebellious would only make things worse and who knows what would happen.

The bathroom door opened and Grimmjow looked at the orangette on the floor. "I was callin' ya." He raised an eyebrow when he was ignored.

Patience had never really been on Grimmjow's side so his thin line snapped very quickly. He grabbed the collar and pulled the boy off the floor. "You've got some nerve ignoring me like that." Ichigo looked at him, his eyes showing nothing but blank expression. Grimmjow sneered, with the defiance gone it only served to aggravate Grimmjow further.

He dragged the orangette out of the bathroom and threw him on the bed. He ripped off the pants the boy was wearing and gripped his wrists together tightly. Ichigo winced but didn't make any sound. Grimmjow snarled, angry that this thing underneath him wasn't the fiery shinigami he wanted. He wanted a fight, he wanted the struggle and the chase but this thing wasn't giving. It pissed him off.

He didn't care about the pain, he didn't care about the pleasure, he was going to get what he wanted, even if he had to kill the orangette to get it.

Grimmjow pushed in without remorse and to his pleasure a scream pierced through the air. He sighed and grinned, the pleasure from the screams of agony flowed through him. He thrusted again and again with animalistic vigor and the sound of slapping skin only enhanced his pleasure. He released with a low grunt and looked down at the half conscious orangette underneath him.

Ichigo laid with his lips parted, slow tears rolling from half lidded eyes and his breath slow and irregular. Grimmjow inhaled sharply and a part of him wanted to hug Ichigo, pat his hair and tell him everything was alright but even that thought angered him. He snorted, grabbed Ichigo's collar and completely dragged him out of the room. Grimmjow tossed Ichigo against the opposite wall and began walking away.

"Don't come back. I don't want to see your face anymore."

Ichigo watched the blunet walk away, his body in too much pain to think about how much pain his heart was in. He felt numb, paralyzed and suffocated. He ignored his pain and was able to get himself to his knees before he collapsed. What was he going to do? He had nowhere to go and he was naked and unprotected. He closed his eyes and felt everything slip away. He would either get raped or eaten or killed if Grimmjow came back and he was still there but he couldn't move, he didn't want to move. The darkness was just too comforting.

Toshiro gasped as a familiar reiatsu start to fade. He dropped the ball he and Rika were playing with a stood quickly. Rika watched him with confusion and panicked when he ran out of the chambers. She chased him barely keeping with his speed and paused when he stopped just outside the hallway where Lord Grimmjow's chambers were. He took a step forward but she grabbed his arm quickly.

"Forgive my rudeness but I do not think entering near Lord Grimmjow's chambers is a good idea."

"Kurosaki is in there! His reiatsu is fading!" Toshiro pulled his arm and rushed into the hall and Rika swallowed nervously before following him. She would rather Grimmjow give her a point blank cero for intruding than face Gin's wrath for leaving the small captain alone. She hesitated when the strong scent of blood filled her nose and continued down the hall.

Toshiro knelt down beside Ichigo and nudged him. He sighed in relief when a pained groan reached his ears. It meant he wasn't dead. Rika watched on and offered help when Toshiro tried to lift the orangette on his own.

"Can you take him to that pink haired espada?" Toshiro asked as they escaped the hall. "He is the only one who can help him at this point."

Rika nodded and carried Ichigo to Szayel's lab. The door opened before they reached it and a calm Szayel stepped out.

"Take him in and place him on the nearest table then get out before I decide to keep you as an experiment." Rika and Toshiro nodded and took Ichigo inside. She placed him on the hard metal table and turned. Toshiro gave a lingering look to the thin, pale body before Rika pulled him away.

"It's okay." She whispered as they walked away from the lab. "Szayel-sama will help him."

Toshiro nodded absently wondering if he could be helped.

Rika escorted him back to Gin's chambers and told him she would be gone for a few hours. He nodded to her and snuggled under the blankets wondering why such bad things were happening.

Szayel turned off the screen after he was sure Gin's pet was safely back in the chambers. He turned to Ichigo and pushed orange locks from his face. He had only lowered the intake of food the boy received to lower his muscle mass and body weight but Grimmjow was full out starving him. Szayel sighed and shook his head. The orangette was warming on him and he hated himself for the decision he was about to make but he couldn't allow Grimmjow to kill his own mate. He took a blood sample just in case before covering the boy with blankets. The collar he'd made for Grimmjow to put on Ichigo when he'd arrived still suppressed the orangette's reiatsu but he hoped it would give him enough time to get the boy away from Las Noches, away from Hueco Mundo and away from Grimmjow.

From his lab, it was a quick Sonido to get outside the walls of Las Noches and he looked around before opening a Gargantua. He made quick work of getting through the rip in space and was glad his calculations never failed him. The Gargantua opened right in front of the empty lot of Urahara Shoten and he laid Ichigo on the dusty ground apologetically.

"I'll try to stall him for as long as possible but get better here before returning to us." Szayel whispered to the unconscious teen. He left back through the Gargantua before his presence was detected and closed the door hoping that he could keep Grimmjow at bay long enough for the teen to recover. As his feet touched the sands of Hueco Mundo he realized then that he had a totally different problem to deal with now.

Toshiro awoke at a knock to the door. He sat up and rubbed his eyes unaware that he had fallen asleep. The door opened and his senses went on high alert. A masked horned arrancar entered the room with two other masked arrancar. Toshiro scooted away and covered himself more.

"We have orders to give you passage to the Seireitei," the masked horned arrancar, "Ichimaru Gin-sama has not been found and is believed to be dead. In accordance with his prior wishes, we shall give you passage to the Seireitei and we will erase your time here at Las Noches from your life."

Toshiro frowned. "Like erase my memories?"

"Yes." The masked horned arrancar nodded. "Exactly."

"No!" Toshiro said sharply. "Give me passage but you will not alter anything."

The masked horned arrancar nodded. "Very well. As you wish." He raised his hand and one of the masked arrancar stepped forward with Hyorinmaru.

Toshiro jumped from the bed and grabbed his zampakuto and the masked arrancar bowed as it was taken from his hands. Toshiro blushed and was only glad he had kept his pants on.

"Come, we leave now." Toshiro had no time to react and was pulled quickly through the halls. There was a Gargantua open and waiting for them. He was led through without a moment to spare and quickly they arrived to the outskirts of the Seireitei. He was dropped quickly before the Gargantua closed, the masked arrancar already gone.

The bright skies of the Soul Society burned his eyes but many reiatsu signatures surrounded him at once.

"Hitsugaya-taicho!"

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho!"

"Go tell someone!"

He wondered how he must have looked at the moment, bare chested and with arrancar hakama on. It wouldn't look good in the eyes of others but the only thought in his mind was that Gin never came back and he was back in Soul Society. This wasn't going to end well. Not at all.


	7. Siete: World of the Living

Siete: World of the Living

* * *

I wanted to apologize for my irrational and irresponsible update a few days ago. I thought it would be nice to delete all my new stories because no one liked them but it seemed that wasn't the case. I was already halfway through this chapter at this point and decided to post it instead of delete it. I hope you all enjoy it, despite the 3 am update.

* * *

Urahara, at this point, wasn't sure what to do.

"Isshin, you need to get here, now." He hung up the phone as Tessai lifted the dust covered orangette from the ground. There was no doubt he was naked under the blankets covering him but the spot of blood left behind was worrying.

Tessai carried the teen into the shop and Urahara lowered himself to look closer at the blood stain on the ground. It wasn't enough to be a serious injury but the position of the stain was strange.

"It couldn't be..."

He stood and hurried into his shop and into the room where Tessai had begun treating Ichigo. The man shook his head and lowered his hands. "There doesn't seem to be anything wrong."

"Don't worry, our guest of honor is arriving soon." Urahara stated.

"Oi! Kisuke!" They heard from the genkan, "What's up?"

"In here Isshin," Urahara replied. "I think you need to see this."

The door slid open and Isshin stepped in. "I feel Ichigo's reiatsu, is he . . . here?" Isshin paused and took in the sight of his son. "What happened?"

"We found him in the lot like this. But he's been missing for awhile hasn't he?"

"Yeah," Isshin replied, taking a seat. "How is he?"

"We don't know," Urahara opened his fan. "But where he had been left, a trace of the reiatsu of an Espada was there."

"I shall retrieve towels and water." Tessai stated. He left the room and Urahara immediately got down to business.

"Listen Isshin. There something you need to check right now. If my assumptions are correct, Ichigo's life may be in danger. Only you as a doctor can check this."

Isshin's face became serious, "what is it?"

After he was told, Isshin immediately got to work. Tessai returned with towels and warm water and gloves.

Isshin sat back and sighed, "it's true."

"Right now, we can't worry about it. At this point, we can only wait until he wakes up to tell us what happened."

Three days passed before Ichigo made any type of movement. He was severely dehydrated and malnourished but according to Isshin he would survive with the proper care.

When he woke up, he was alone and felt awfully grimy. His mouth was dry and sticky and felt like cotton had been stuck in his throat.

Where was he? It definitely wasn't his room in Las Noches but the odds of him being kidnapped were slim. The room definitely looked familiar but he couldn't place where he'd seen it. Tentatively, he stood but immediately collapsed. He cried out and choked, his throat too dry for that type of sound. The pain was unbearable. It felt like he'd had weights sitting on him for days. He vaguely heard movement and shuffling in the other room. The door opened and the bright light blinded him, his arms without the strength to shield his eyes.

The blind dots danced behind his eyelids, and a headache hit him with full force. Where was he and what did they do to him?

"Ichigo!"

The voice sounded so familiar, but he curled up in fear. He could feel that he was away from his mate and although he was in a familiar place, it all felt unfamiliar.

There was a touch on him and he panicked. He lashed out and heard a grunt. Suddenly, his mind went blank and his captors sighed in relief as he passed out.

"Inemuri?" Isshin questioned.

"Yeah." Kisuke responded. "He's traumatized so I'm not sure if he'll be able to answer us properly."

"It's fine. We'll just have to go at this slowly and carefully."

Ichigo woke hours later and Isshin moved carefully from his spot in the corner. He sat next to the futon and touched his son's hair. Ichigo's eyes opened slowly and he looked toward Isshin blankly.

"Glad you're awake Ichigo." Isshin said softly but Ichigo's eyes never changed.

"Am I dead?" The orangette asked and Isshin stared at him in surprise.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Everyone was dead," Ichigo responded, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, "my friends died, in the school fire, and you, died in the house, with Karin and Yuzu."

"No no," Isshin shook his head, "no, you're alive son. You're not dead. All your friends, your sisters, everyone is alive. We're not dead."

Ichigo clenched his fists, "why are you lying to me? Why won't you tell me the truth?"

"Ichigo..."

"Stop lying to me! Did you steal me from Las Noches too? You're not even my dad! Take me back! Take me back now! I'll kill you!" The rage radiating from his body was saddening for Isshin but the fact that Ichigo couldn't move made his threats seem silly and futile.

"They brainwashed him?" Kisuke asked as he entered the room.

"It seems that way."

Kisuke knelt down and sighed. "Ichigo."

The orangette paused and blinked a few times. "Urahara-san?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Where did you go? Your shop disappeared. Do you know where I am?"

"You're in my shop, in the recovery room. You were seriously injured. Can you tell me what happened? Tessai is here too, Ururu and Jinta, if you think I'm lying."

"I'm here." Tessai said from the door.

"And me." Ururu replied softly.

"Me too." Jinta said, arms crossed.

Ichigo looked toward their voices through the bluriness.

"What about my dad and my sisters? Where are they?"

"Isshin is sitting right next to you. Can't you feel his reiatsu?" Kisuke nodded to Isshin who grabbed Ichigo's hand. "Your sister's are at home waiting to see you. You've been gone for a really long time."

"A long time?"

"Yes. Almost six months. I found you in front of my shop, and you've been here for a few days."

"But I saw it. Everyone had died. I saw it."

"It was a vision of despair. I promise everyone is alive and well."

"And Hueco Mundo?"

"Someone brought you here through a gargantua. I found traces of Espada reiatsu and the rip in space from where you were. When you are a bit more rested, I'll show you the shop and your friends and sisters will come see you."

Ichigo nodded and almost immediately went back to sleep.

"That was easy." Isshin frowned.

"There is an espada in Las Noches who does research and analysis like a scientist. I'm most certain he gave Ichigo something that made him believe that everything he'd known was a lie in order to break him and want to stay in Hueco Mundo but I'm confused on how he was able to return here if they truly wanted him to stay there. From here we've only got an assumption but he may truly be in danger."

"What do you mean?" Isshin questioned.

Kisuke pulled down the temporary shirt they placed on Ichigo and pointed out the mark on his shoulder. "He was marked but it's fading which means that something happened that caused this. If this mark disappears, Ichigo will die. No doubt."

"How do you know?"

"I've done research on mating season. This was the only thing I was able to find out."

Isshin nodded and looked back to his son. Kisuke watched and kept to himself the damage he could only imagine Ichigo was facing internally.

Right now, Isshin didn't need to know.

* * *

Ichigo had only been awake for a few hours but Yuzu and Karin had been waiting at Urahara's since Kisuke wouldn't allow Isshin to transport Ichigo to the clinic.

"It's too dangerous. Anything could happen and you don't have enough knowledge to take care of him in his current situation. If he's there, it could be life and death between the time you find that something is wrong and the time you actually get him back here. With him here, I can monitor him properly and quickly do something if his condition changes."

Isshin couldn't argue at that point and agreed to leave Ichigo in his care.

Yoruichi had gone to the Seireitei to speak with Soi-Fon and ended up coming back with interesting information.

"So it seems that Hitsugaya Toshiro, the captain who was taken after his journey alone to Hueco Mundo, returned virtually unharmed to Seireitei. Soi-Fon's team found him only a short while after Ichigo was returned here. It doesn't seem like a coincidence but we don't have enough information to accurately determine why they were returned around the same time."

"Ah! I saw Toshiro in Las Noches!"

Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Isshin looked toward the door where Ichigo stood, dark circles under his eyes and face paler than before.

"Ichigo! What happened? Where are Karin and Yuzu?" Isshin asked.

"Ah," Ichigo grinned, "I fell asleep and I guess they fell asleep too but I didn't stay sleeping for very long."

"Why don't you go back and lay down? You look awful." Yoruichi suggested.

"But weren't you talking about Toshiro?" Ichigo questioned. He took a spot on the floor and smiled. "I saw Toshiro a lot there. He made a friend. I think she was an arrancar but she was pretty. Whenever I stayed with Szayel-sama I saw him three times maybe? You know I can't really remember."

"Szayel-sama?"

"Szayel-sama took care of me for awhile." Ichigo replied to their confused looks.

It was shocking for them as Ichigo never used an honorific above -san, so for him to be referring to this arrancar with such a respectful honorific, there had to be something wrong.

"Did this arrancar. . . mark you Ichigo?" Kisuke asked cautiously. "This Szayel-sama?"

"No no!" Ichigo laughed. "The one who marked me. . ." Ichigo paused, a confused look passing across his face. "Mark me? What do you mean by that?"

Yoruichi reached for a mirror and held it in front of Ichigo so he could see the fading six on his collarbone. The orangette froze at the number there and shook his head.

"No, that was. . ." He stood up suddenly, his face paler than before. His body shook and occupants tensed to catch him in case he fell. "It doesn't matter, does it?"

"It does matter!" Yoruichi shouted suddenly. "Whatever is going on is killing you Ichigo! If we don't know what happened to you while you were stuck in Hueco Mundo, we can do nothing but watch helplessly as you get closer and closer to death."

"But-" Ichigo shook his head. How could he tell them what happened there? He didn't even know how he got back home.

"Ichigo, listen," Ichigo looked up at Kisuke, "I might be able to keep you alive and if you tell me what happened in Hueco Mundo, I'll tell you something interesting I found out about you."

Something interesting about him?

* * *

"I'll be back soon!" Orihime called to her guest. "I'm going to buy food."

She locked the door behind her and wondered if he would be okay. His injuries were severe but so far she's managed to keep him alive. She skipped down the street wondering if she should tell anyone else about the guest she was harboring inside her apartment but decided that it didn't really matter.

She went to the store and bought things she thought her guest might like and then realized that she didn't really know his name. She grabbed a jar of pickles and wondered if he liked them.

Ayame and Shun'o were with him still, his wounds were difficult but she was positive he would survive. Restoring his reiatsu was going to be more difficult because for her it always was but she figured she could do it.

At first she wondered if she should be helping on of the bad guys but his face was so peaceful and he looked so reserved and ready to die, she couldn't allow it. He had been calling out for someone and she knew that when she had to save him so that he could find who he was looking for.

She decided she would make pickle and mustard gravy sandwiches for dinner and skipped happily home. She couldn't help but to be excited as she unlocked the door to her apartment but that immediately faded when the man was trying to move around from where he was being healed.

"You can't move yet!" She dropped her bags kneeled next to him and tried to pushed him back down. "You're not completely healed!"

"Nah, it's okay. I gotta get back." He pushed away her hands but she pushed back.

"Just a little longer!" She pleaded. "If you allow me to heal you a little longer, I'll help you find who you're looking for!"

He paused. "Why wouldja do that?"

She blushed and stammered. "U-um sometimes when you're sleeping you say a name and, not that I watch you when you sleep! Y-you look sad and I just thought-"

He laughed at her nervousness and she blushed deeper. "That sad of a look doesn't suit you. I thought if you could find the person you were looking for, you wouldn't be so sad anymore."

"Even though I'm an enemy?"

"But you aren't, are you?" She looked at her brother's memorial. "If you were, you would have attacked me and ran away already. Sometimes people do bad things to protect something they love or because they have no other choice. Maybe even both but inside they still have good in them. Isn't that the case?" She looked back at him.

He looked at his pale hands and laid back down. "I guess it is that way."

Orihime smiled and went back to healing him.


	8. Ocho: Hueco Mundo

Ocho: Hueco Mundo

* * *

Grimmjow grinned in satisfaction and wiped the sweat from his brow. Starrk sighed next to him, his hands in his pockets.

"I find you to be too excited about this." Starrk yawned.

"It gives me relief. Now that Aizen is gone, there's nothing holding me back. I needed to release the pent up tension and this is plain therapeutic."

"Well," Starrk sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "can we go back now? It's been a week."

Grimmjow looked to the unchanging sky and frowned. "Has it been that long?"

Starrk nodded and they began to run back. It had been a while. Grimmjow smirked, excited he would see his berry after all that time.

There was something wrong and he knew it the moment they entered back into Las Noches. He couldn't feel his berry's reiatsu anywhere. He left Starrk with a quick goodbye and rushed back to his chambers. It was empty. Both rooms, the bathroom, and everywhere around. It wasn't right, he wasn't gone for that long so how did he disappear?

He shook his head and thought. The shinigami didn't know how to open a gargantua so how? There was only one person who could know. He grimaced, he didn't want to but at this point it was pointless to tear Las Noches apart.

One of Szayel's fracción opened the door for him and he pushed past into the lab.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Szayel questioned from a table.

"Ichigo is missing. I can't find him anywhere."

"Ah yes." Szayel stood and stretched. "I wonder why that is."

"Do you have any clue as to where he is?" Grimmjow asked impatiently.

"Yes, he is in the afterlife."

Grimmjow was stunned. "What?"

"He's dead, Grimmjow."

"Wh-why? How?"

Szayel smiled maliciously inside, it was fair punishment. "Come I'll show you."

He pulled up the video of Grimmjow throwing the bloodied Ichigo from his room, the orangette smacking into the wall none too gently. Grimmjow felt sick. He had done that to his berry but came back looking for him anyway. Those words that came from his mouth: "Don't come back. I don't want to see your face anymore.", it was unbearable. He watched the orangette struggle to get onto his knees before collapsing once again. He didn't move anymore after that. Grimmjow turned away and Szayel shut off the screen. "The shinigami captain that Ichimaru brought ended up going to rescue him and brought him to me. It was too late by then."

Szayel smiled in satisfaction as the blunet pondered things in his head. He needed to see the awful feelings he would feel if anything happen to his mate, especially by his own hand. He thought that it was time to show Grimmjow the more pressing matters.

"Look, I've got something more interesting to show you."

He turned on the screen again and it showed Ichigo on the futon at Urahara's. He face was pale and his breathing was labored, sweat covered his body and he was fidgeting in his sleep. "Poor kid. He's probably having a nightmare."

"What?" Grimmjow blinked, "what it this?"

"This is live footage of your precious berry."

"You said he was dead! Where is he?"

"He's in the World of the Living. I sent him there, regrettably."

He dodged the punch that was thrown at him and immediately injected the blunet with a muscle relaxer. Grimmjow cursed and shouted as he fell to the ground and Szayel couldn't help but to think it was really funny.

"Why the hell would you send him back there? Not when I had him so close!"

"It's not like he was better here." Szayel snorted. "Don't you see him?" He ushered to the video of the pale, skinny teen laying on that futon, his hair once vibrant, now dull and unkempt; his cheeks sunken in and dark shadows under his eyes. "The shirt he wears fit him before he came here and now it falls from his shoulders. You were starving him Grimmjow, you raped him and left him to die.

He isn't like us, Grimmjow, he's only human. If you don't take care of him, he'll die like any other living thing. With this week you've been gone releasing all your pent up energy and frustration, he's been fighting for his life because the mark is fading."

Grimmjow froze and Szayel had Medazeppi put the blunet on a metal table.

"The shinigami exile and his father are taking care of him now since you cannot. When you feel that you can stand to look at him without getting angry, you can see him. I hope it is soon for you Grimmjow because there is no doubt in my mind that he will die when your reiatsu fades completely from that mark binding him to you. Your reiatsu should burn off that drug soon. You'll be able to move in an hour or so. Don't bother me or I'll use you as a guinea pig."

Szayel left Grimmjow to think and the blunet couldn't do anything but watch the screen in his helplessness.

He had been selfish and thought about only himself during that time not even thinking about how Ichigo felt through all of it.

True to his word, Grimmjow was able to move after an hour. Ichigo barely moved in that time. He seemed to have relaxed in his sleep and he wasn't sweating so much anymore. He had been so tense, all his unknown frustration had disappeared after training and killing a few adjuchas class menos. He had been excited to come back and ravish his berry but now all those thoughts were gone. He hadn't been in his right mind then and he hurt the orangette probably beyond repair.

He sighed in frustration and took one last look at the screen. He would control himself if only to save the light that had brightened the never ending night of Hueco Mundo. He left Szayel's lab and went to find someone. Harribel was the first person he found, her eyes sad and lonely. He stopped in front of her and rubbed the back of his neck, she always made him nervous. "Come spar with me, it might help you release some of the tension you're holding onto."

"When did you get to be so kind?" She asked in annoyance.

"Dammit woman, come spar with me then go see Szayel. He's got something interesting to tell you."

Harribel huffed and followed Grimmjow. She could use the distraction.

* * *

Szayel watched distracted at the live feed of Ichigo on his screen. He was testing the blood he had taken from the orangette hoping that his theory he had assembled was completely false. He saved that test for last and crossed his fingers. The color of the liquid changed to blue and he sighed. This definitely made things so much more difficult.

There was a knock before the door to his lab opened to reveal a bruised up Harribel.

"Grimmjow said you wanted to show me something."

Szayel nodded and took her into another room where three large liquid containers were placed. Inside those containers were Sun-Sun, Apache, and Mila Rose, unconscious. Harribel froze and Szayel ran a hand through his hair. "I was able to recreate their bodies and the machine is currently reviving their reiatsu. Hopefully they will regain all of their memories but right now I'm trying to make sure their bodies don't relapse and disintegrate. I'll be sure to let you know when it's time to wake them up."

Harribel nodded, "thank you. I really, truly appreciate it."

"I know."

Harribel left immediately and Szayel went back into the main lab. Ichigo was beginning to wake up so he went to begin preparing things coming up with ways to tell Grimmjow that Ichigo was probably going to die.

* * *

Ohh? Things are getting intense! Hopefully next chapter will be longer than this. The setting for the next chapter will be with Toshiro in the Seireitei, he will be dealt his punishment. Exciting exciting! Goodbye for now, my lovelies. Don't forget to press that lonely bunny button at the bottom and tell me what you think. Until then.


	9. Nueve: Seireitei

Nueve: Seireitei

* * *

Toshiro sighed in boredom, his white kimono hugging his body uncomfortably. He had been relieved temporarily of his captain duties, fortunately including paperwork. The brightness of the sky outside was frustrating and very unlike the comfortable darkness of Hueco Mundo that he had become used to. It was almost time for him to see Unohana for his psychological evaluation. He groaned in annoyance. Old man Yamamoto had forced him after his return to the Seireitei and after his physical evaluation.

Traces of Gin's reiatsu was left over even after the month passing from the last time they indulged in one another. Toshiro smiled lightly, it only went to show that the man was strong. They found his traces near his nether regions and on the pants he wore but why they felt the need to leave him in a simple white kimono instead of giving him another haori and hakama, he didn't understand.

"Captain." Toshiro turned to Matsumoto, a faint, pitying smile on her face. "It's time to go."

She really annoyed him sometimes. He knew that she felt some kind of way about the fact that it was Gin and no one else. She loved Gin, he knew, but he loved him more and there was no doubt in his mind that if Gin was still alive and had to choose, he would be chosen without hesitation.

He followed his lieutenant silently toward another useless therapy session.

He appreciated her truly, despite the fact that she didn't work, she was loud, and was always trying to kill him with her boobs; but when things became serious, she became serious and reliable.

He felt uncomfortable sadness at the fact that the silverette never returned to him in Las Noches. He remembered explicitly what he was told then.

"You're going to stay here. You'll stay here until I return and if I don't return, the Fracción under my command has orders to release you and give you passage to Seireitei."

Toshiro snorted in frustration. It wasn't even his Fracción that gave him passage back. He would have preferred to stay in Hueco Mundo until the man returned because there was no way he was dead, he couldn't be killed that easily.

Unohana was trying too hard to dig deep into something she couldn't understand and that pissed him off. She seemed to want to believe that there was some ulterior motive in what spurned him to Hueco Mundo and that he was forced to stay there because he was overpowered by the vast number of enemies there. He blew a strand of hair from his face in annoyance. She really underestimated him if she thought he wouldn't be able to take care of himself, he'd rather die than be thought of as weak.

Matsumoto stopped as they arrived at the 4th division barracks and waited long enough for the proper transition to be made before disappearing. It was funny that they thought of him as a run risk. He knew there were members from the stealth force watching him all the time and his cuffs were made from sekisekki so wouldn't be able to make it to the next corner before being caught. He found it unnecessary and tedious because he wouldn't be able to go anywhere but the Soul Society but they were taking every caution it seemed.

Unohana was ready as usual, that usual sickeningly happy and calm smile on her face. She greeted him and he nodded back to her out of respect and kindness but he wished he could be anywhere but here. She ushered him to sit and she started on him immediately.

He thought fleetingly as he answered her questions either truthfully or with a well placed lie if he would ever escape from here. He heard that Kurosaki had been returned to the World of the Living shortly before he had been returned here. He wasn't sure about the Espada who had taken over after Aizen but he knew that whatever happened whether he decided to try and take Kurosaki from the World of the Living, things would roll hell bound and it would be like the Winter War all over again. He rubbed a hand over his face unconsciously and jumped when Unohana cleared her throat.

"You aren't listening to me, Hitsugaya-taichou."

He nodded cautiously and swallowed to clear the dryness of the throat. It was hard to concentrate on her when there were so many other things on his mind. He thought that maybe if he decided how he would deal with things from here he could find temporary relief from his confinement. He felt like a prisoner that was allowed to walk around, as if he decided he was going to suddenly wreak havoc in the Seireitei. He stopped himself from laughing at that. They would definitely execute him then. He looked up as Unohana placed her hand on his own.

"Do you mind telling me what is distracting you so?" He aura was scary and he gulped and reared back. He hadn't realized he was smiling at his own thoughts until the smile wiped itself from his face.

He shuddered and cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, let's continue?"

He would have think about all of it after this frightening appointment with Unohana.

* * *

Days passed by Toshiro his emotions and feeling for people strained and virtually gone. He didn't care to talk to anyone and he woke up during the night from nightmares he couldn't remember. Dark shadows laid under his eyes and he did nothing but stare out of his window. He found a silver mark on the inside of his thigh, a mark that looked like two silver waves with a blue marking in between them. He blushed deeply when he wondered how it got there and knew that Gin was the only person that could have put it there but he didn't know what it meant. Since it formed itself, his energy dropped quickly but he felt calmer and more mellow, not so angry at the world anymore. He wasn't exactly sure what the feeling was but he felt warm and safe and the scent was familiar. From there he promised himself he wouldn't let himself wallow and attempted to train as to not completely lose his skills but the moment he tried to call out to Hyorinmaru he collapsed and was taken immediately to Unohana for diagnosis. She couldn't find anything wrong but he was forbidden from training.

Days passed, boring and indifferent, and nothing really changed. The same people and sometimes different ones passed by the same street in front of his window and some even waved at him, bowing to their captain. At least their loyalty hadn't changed. He once had a fleeting thought about Hinamori but that thought disappeared quickly after his thoughts began wandering to the naughty things Gin could do with his tongue. He didn't really think about Hinamori after that. He wondered if he should go to see her but each time he thought about going, his body told him it probably wouldn't be a good idea to get up. The exhaustion was getting to be more and more pronounced and soon he couldn't his eyes open even after only sitting in the window for the day. Matsumoto was worried but he wouldn't talk to her much. He would respond to her with grunts and huffs as well as sounds of acknowledgement but beyond that, nothing more than one or two worded answeres. She was beginning to get very frustrated.

She placed down the new tray of food and picked up the untouched tray sparing a glance to Toshiro in the window. He looked tired, exhausted really, his skin paler than normal, his hair without it's lustrous glow, and eyes dark and dull and it startled her. She had been so caught up in her frustration and anger she hadn't realized how broken down he was. She placed the tray and went over to him. He didn't respond to her presence and she pulled him close and held him, but his muscles never tensed and he never pushed away. There was definitely something wrong and that's when she noticed that she could barely feel his spiritual pressure. She abandoned every thought in her head and lifted him up to take him to Unohana. She didn't know how long he had been this way and the guilt she felt made her run quicker to get him help. As she had be caught up in her own anger, frustration and anguish, she hadn't realized he was worse off than her. He was the one who had been captive in Hueco Mundo, not her, he had been the brought back thin and pale, not her, he was the one who was small, scared, and confused, not her, and it took for her to be the to find him as a shell of a person, so close to death for her to realize that.

She burst into the Squad 4 barracks, frightening the inhabitants inside, calling desperately for help knowing that if her captain died, it would be on her because she was responsible for looking after him. She wondered silently if they would be able save him at this point and she felt guilty all over again, she would blame herself and there was no changing that. She jumped at the hand that landed on her shoulder and she met the smiling face of Unohana. The woman smiled at her and she gave an uncertain smile back. If anyone could save her captain, it would have to be Unohana. If Unohana couldn't save him, everything would be lost.

Turquoise eyes opened slowly and he found himself staring at a white ceiling. He still felt undeniably weak and he exhaled softly.

"I see you're awake."

He turned his head slowly, Unohana sitting next to his bed. She watched him as closely as he watched her but he didn't respond. His head was cloudy and he could hear a slight ringing in his ears. Unohana noticed that he stopped looking at her and wasn't focused anymore but that was to be expected. She wasn't sure how to explain the things that were happening to him but he would have to be kept under constant watch, there was no doubt.

Soon, Toshiro was back to sleep and Unohana left the room. There was no point to do anything if he wasn't concentrating.

She left to do paperwork for awhile and get some tea. It would do her nerves some good. She settled behind her desk with her teacup and paperwork and sighed. They had just finished the war and yet there were still terrible things happening everywhere. She hadn't expected things to calm down quickly but she hasn't expected them to get worse either. She picked up her pen to begin when a frantic knocking began at her door. It had only been five minutes.

"Come in." She called.

Isane rushed in, her face pale and fear stricken. "I went to do my rounds and found Hitsugaya-taichou's bed empty!"

Unohana stood immediately. Her lieutenant was already panicked but that was no reason for her to panic as well. She gave out orders to send everyone available to find him as she prepared to send out a Hell Butterfly. He was weak and his reiryoku was low so he couldn't have gotten very far but it was always good to be cautious.

Toshiro panted harshly as he reached the Senkaimon. There was no doubt he would be caught if he didn't hurry. He peeked around the corner and there was no one guarding the Senkaimon which was great as he bolted. He was exhausted but he couldn't stop, he knew if he did there would be no escaping but at this point Urahara Kisuke was the only person who could help him now.

"Attention all Gotei 13 squads! One Hitsugaya Toshiro is wandering in Seireitei and must be returned to the Squad 4 barracks. If spotted, capture immediately. Combat is authorized if resistance is displayed."

Shit.

He pushed his legs to go faster because Kurotsuchi was mostly likely shutting down access to all Senkaimon and he couldn't have that. There were people running behind him, although not close they would catch up to him in no time. He probably shouldn't have but he looked back to the crowd of men chasing him down and wondered how they found him so fast.

He thanked all heavens the Senkaimon began to open but his heart nearly stopped to see people coming out of it. They were having a conversation and didn't seem to notice the commotion in front of them but the worst part was the door closing behind them. He knew that if the door closed he would never get through so with a last burst of energy he didn't know he had, he was able to Shunpo right through the closing door.

He rolled across the rocky floor of the Dangai and took a second to catch his breath and shake off the dizziness. It would be a quick run to The World of the Living from here and he started off hoping he would make it there and that the Cleaner wasn't running today.

* * *

Well, halfway through chapter 10 and finally stopped being lazy and uploaded the drawing of Rika.

(kurotenshi-hime)(.deviantart(.com)(/art/Rika-Armetisser-531283758). When copying link, take out parentheses and add (h.t.t.p :/ /) (without periods or spaces) or you can find the link on my profile page.


	10. Diez: World of the Living

Diez: World of the Living

* * *

Days passed in tense silence as Ichigo steadily became weaker and weaker. Kisuke wiped the sweat from his forehead as he shifted uncomfortably, his body twitching every once in awhile. The Mark had faded more and more and Ichigo didn't really regain consciousness anymore. He had to be watched all the time to make sure his body remained stable and his soul intact. Kisuke tested his reiatsu to see if he could fix something and he found that although the mark was faded it was stabilizing the black reiatsu that seemed to be poisoning Ichigo. The child inside of him was going to be the death of him unless his mate came to equalize the equation. The foetus couldn't survive with just Ichigo's reiatsu and that was his punishment, the backlash for not having his Alpha around. That was the end result of the research Kisuke conducted.

He wasn't sure what to do at this point, unless his mate miraculously came and stabilized his reiatsu then there was no way Ichigo was going to survive past tomorrow. He had yet to tell Isshin of his findings and he knew the man would be angry at him keeping something so important but he was completely sure now. He sighed and stood, he hated to have to be the one to be the bearer of bad news but they would have to start preparing for the funeral service. They had no way of knowing who his mate was and going to Hueco Mundo was dangerous in itself. He was startled at the hand on his pants and turned to see Ichigo giving him a pained look, his breath shallow and labored.

"Pl-please..don't...leave..."

Kisuke's eyes softened as he knelt back down. It seemed Ichigo was as scared as the rest of them, probably moreso since he was the one suffering through. He took a pale hand and stroked it softly, soothing words in the air. He hushed his ward as tears began to fall, and he brushed orange locks from his face. His hair had gotten rather long during his decline, it was a shame. He wiped the tears away and rubbed the orangette's cheek. He looked awful, his cheeks sunken in and shadows that looked like bruises under his eyes. His vibrant hair and determined eyes were shadows of what they used to be, his hair brittle and dull, and eyes death like, comparable to muddy pools. It broke Kisuke's heart and there was no doubt that he would die.

"Tessai!" He called and he immediately heard footsteps. The sliding door open and Tessai took in Kisuke's somber face and the pale hand he had in his own. The worst thoughts went through his head. "Find Yoruichi, and get Isshin and his daughters here. They need to say their goodbyes."

"Would you like me to inform his friends as well?"

Kisuke looked back at Ichigo who was struggling to stay conscious. "It would be for the best."

Ichigo felt weak, more than weak, he could barely breathe and his dreams consisted of nothing but blue and white. It was dark everywhere at the moment and he wouldn't admit how much he wished Shiro was back with him. He didn't know where the insufferable hollow went but he knew that he would welcome him with open arms when he returned.

He found something during his last trip into his inner world, a black ball of reiatsu but it had seared his skin when he tried to touch it. He left it where it was in his inner world and never went back.

It was frightening honestly but he wasn't dead yet even though he knew he was slowly coming closer to death. It was always nice when he could come back to consciousness but somehow this time was different. There was a presence over his body, a strong, familiar presence and he heard the gasp rip from his throat as a warm, wet tongue licked across his neck and shoulder. His mark was there he knew, and he tried to lift his arm to reach out to the person over him. His body was warming up, the emptiness he felt was filling and he shivered with a strange feeling. A warm hand grasped his own and he trembled, the warm lips on his neck slowly moving up until they reached his own lips. There was so much weakness, his body unable to focus and react as his eyes felt like lead as he tried to open them. Those lips moved from his own, back down the his neck, tracing the six sensually. He gasped out and shuddered, "G-Grimm..." His voice was hoarse but the hand around his own tightened.

There was a noise and suddenly the heat was gone. He whimpered and reached out but the heat never returned. His eyes opened slightly, the cold empty feeling returned, and he knew that Grimmjow wasn't there anymore and he felt frightened. He cried out his voice equivalent to that of a wounded animal and there were hands on his body, voices surrounding him and he felt like throwing up. His energy depleted once again and he was dragged roughly under the surface.

Kisuke sighed as Ichigo passed out again and looked over to the sexta being restrained by Tessai and Isshin with Kido spells and physical force. Grimmjow glared at the people trying to keep him from his mate when it was obvious he was dying. Kisuke looked back to Ichigo surprised that he wasn't as pale as he had been even if that progress was fading quickly. Kisuke looked back at Grimmjow in surprise.

This Espada was his mate?

* * *

Orihime hummed a tune as she walked home. Her ward was progressing wonderfully and soon she could let him go. She didn't know where he would go from there since he would never be welcome in the Soul Society and she wasn't sure what his status was in Hueco Mundo.

She paused and stopped her humming as she felt a familiar reiatsu before a Senkaimon opened in the sky above the river. She gasped as she saw the white hair of Toshiro as he stumbled from the Senkaimon, unconscious. She called for her Shun Shun Rikka to catch him before he fell in the water and get him to safe ground. She rushed to him and was both relieved and worried that she could feel his reiatsu but not as strong as it should have been, weaker than hers even.

She managed to lift him carefully and get him on her back and she rushed home as quickly as she could with the unconscious boy on her back. The stairs to her apartment were hard as she tried to climb them without dropping the Shinigami on her back. She fumbled for her keys and was surprised when the door opened, shocked icy blue orbs staring back at her, or rather who was with her.

He reached out, exhaling softly and a sad smile covered his face. "You really weren't lying when you said you wanted to help me find the one I was looking for huh?"

Orihime nodded blankly and she watched as her ward relieved her of Toshiro's weight on her back and followed them inside. She shut the door and watched as her ward laid Toshiro on the futon that he slept on and brushed the hair from his face. The captain was pale, too pale, and she moved closer. "D-do I need to heal him?"

Her ward had a neutral expression and she knelt down when he shook his head. "Unfortunately, even your powers can't fix this. This mark," he lifted the white robes up to his thigh and Orihime blushed until she saw the mark on the inside of his thigh, "is sapping his reiryoku and will continue to do so until he's dead."

"Why?" The question rolled off her tongue before she could stop it.

"It's like a human marriage. Two people wear rings to show who they are bonded to while arrancar use marks to show who they are bonded to. The only difference is that the beta, the one who wears the mark cannot survive without the alpha that marked them. Why it happens, I don't know. The beta needs their alpha's reiatsu to stabilize the mark in the first long while after the bonding. If they don't, their mark will slowly eat away at their reiryoku until they are dead. It's worse if a beta is pregnant during this time period. The foetus needs the reiatsu of both its parents to function and grow properly but if only the beta is sustaining the foetus, the foetus' reiatsu will begin to poison the beta from the inside speeding up the torturous process. I believe that's what's happening with the substitute at this moment."

Orihime swallowed down all the information she was just given but could worry about the last bit about Kurosaki-kun later. "Can he be saved?" She questioned, her eyes on Toshiro.

"Of course." Her ward's fingers drifted between the robes, "all I have to do is touch this mark here, and he'll be fine soon enough."

Orihime blushed again and stood. "Thank you for your information. I'm going to Urahara Shoten to pass along the information you've given me and see if it's possible to save Kurosaki-kun at this point."

"Good luck," he murmured and she left.

He rubbed two fingers around his mark and a small gasp escaped from Toshiro's lips. He found himself leaning forward between creamy legs and licking along Toshiro's inner thigh where the mark was.

The reaction was instantaneous. Toshiro made a noise between a gasp and a moan and his back arched high from the futon, his hands fisted between the fabric.

"Gin..."

The silverette grinned mischievously and licked further up, bringing his lover to a slow, torturous orgasm.

The paleness that covered Toshiro was replaced with a healthy flush and Gin could feel his reiatsu rising.

Toshiro opened bleary eyes and could only bring himself to smile weakly. "I knew you weren't gone."

"Go back to sleep, I'll be here. I won't leave you alone again."

Toshiro nodded in reassurance and dropped right off again. Gin laid down next to him and Toshiro curled into his warmth like before and Gin pulled him closer. He wouldn't let his little lover go again, not now, not ever.

* * *

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly, his foggy mind trying to process his surroundings. It was dark outside his window he knew but he felt strange, refreshed slightly. Then it came back to him, Grimmjow had been there!

He sat up tenderly and winced at the pain running through his body. He managed to get himself crawling into the main room and stay conscious when he noticed the entrance to the underground training room was open. He bit his lip and debated for a second if he could get down there unscathed and decided to test it when he could feel Grimmjow's reiatsu filtering up. His vision swam as he came closer to the ladder but didn't let that faze him, he had to see if he had been dreaming, if he still was dreaming, or if Grimmjow was really in that room at the bottom of the ladder.

He tentatively pushed himself over the edge of the entrance and steadied himself on the rungs before starting his descent. His legs trembled dangerously and he wondered just how dangerous it was for him to be doing this. He couldn't just drop down, he might break something or kill himself in the process. He couldn't even bring himself to climb back up the few rungs he had climbed down. He sighed, so the only way really was down. Rung after rung, he climbed down and was exhausted after only three of them. He held onto the ladder for dear life and whimpered softly. His alpha's reiatsu was there and he could feel it but he couldn't go on anymore. He felt sick and his vision wavered again, but if he passed out now he would probably die.

He swallowed and shook his head; he would not die on a ladder of all things. He couldn't allow that to happen especially not after all he's been through. He lifted his foot to put down to the next rung and slipped.

His face was overcome with panic as his hands detached from the bars almost immediately after and he went into a free fall. The brightness of the training grounds blinded him as he fell through and plummeted straight toward the ground. He closed his eyes and cried while he waited for impact but it never came. Even after two minutes and he didn't feel like he was falling but flying. He opened his eyes slowly and found himself looking at blonde tresses.

"You gave us quite a scare, falling out of the ceiling like that Kurosaki-san." Kisuke smiled at him but he couldn't bring even a weak smile to his own face. They landed on the ground and Ichigo was let down onto unsteady feet. He grabbed onto Kisuke's overcoat to prevent himself from falling and Kisuke grabbed him carefully to prevent him from toppling over as he nearly lost balance.

Ichigo inhaled and shivered when the overwhelming reiatsu of his alpha surrounded him like a warm blanket. He tried to take a step forward but Kisuke's hand remained firm.

"Where are you going, Kurosaki-san?"

"He's here. I need to find him."

"Kurosaki-san?"

Ichigo turned on him despite his dizziness. "You have him, don't you?! He was there and you took him! Where is my alpha?"

Kisuke took a step back when the orangette's nonexistent reiatsu flared dangerously. He couldn't let Ichigo use up the rest of his energy but he wasn't sure if giving into his wishes was the smartest idea or if letting the Espada interact was worse. He sighed unhappily. The Espada he had chained up to the wall was probably the only thing that could save the orangette.

"Come with me," he said finally. "I'll take you to see him."

The brightest smile he had seen from Ichigo in a long time spread across his face. Ichigo followed the blonde around a few rocks and stopped in shock and slight apprehension when he caught sight of Grimmjow stuck to the wall with powerful Bakudo and physical chains. He took a step forward and the blunet looked up, slightly bloody and beat up but no worse for wear.

"Hey Berry."

Ichigo choked back a sob and stumbled forward to the Espada. Kisuke released the Bakudo and the chains he made to restrain the Espada. He stayed behind a rock to give them privacy but close enough to intervene if anything happened.

Grimmjow embraced his spitfire beta and nearly purred in happiness. Ichigo felt nothing but safety and happiness. Grimmjow inhaled his mate's scent and held him tighter.

"I'm sorry."

Ichigo froze and looked up at unusually soft cerulean eyes. "I almost killed you. I left you there to die and I regret every moment of it. Aizen suppressed my instincts and when he was defeated I needed a way to get rid of my tension and you were my easiest target. I won't let it happen again."

Ichigo reached up and held his face gently, his thumb moving over the mask fragment on his cheek. "Why did you come back for me here when there was a possibility you could have been killed?"

"I took that chance when I found out you were gone. I needed you back with me and I wasn't gonna give up my spitfire berry for anyone or anything."

"Are you taking me back?" Ichigo questioned quietly.

"I am." Kisuke tensed behind the rock and placed a hand in the hilt of his zanpakuto. "But only for a little while until you're better and then you can come back here."

"But-"

Grimmjow shook his head, effectively silencing whatever the orangette was going to respond with. "This is the place you call home, I guess, and I can't take that away from you. I won't allow you to make impulsive decisions now, not when your life is still in danger. When you're better, you can make a decision then okay? Until then, I'm taking you back with me to Las Noches. Szayel misses you a lot."

Ichigo's eyes brightened.

Kisuke came from behind the rock and frowned. "I can't let you take him, you know that don't you?"

Grimmjow scowled but Ichigo nuzzled his neck to calm him down.

"I figured you would say that, but if only for his sake, I hope there will be no fight in this. It's not like I'm keeping him forever, I will be bringing him back."

"The consequences..."

"If he doesn't come with me he will die. If you really don't believe me, it doesn't take that long to open a gargantua to get to Hueco Mundo. I'll even show you how to do it if it makes you feel better." Grimmjow growled in annoyance. "You may have research on us but the problems now are arrancar problems and arrancar are better suited to deal with them."

"I'll go with you."

Grimmjow snorted. "It's your life. I don't care if you come, you might learn a few things from Szayel."

The blunet stood with Ichigo in his arms and winced at how light he was. He wasn't sure how everyone would take him bringing back a captain level straggler along but he would warn them for his berry's sake. He took a few steps and then paused.

Kisuke tensed defensively when Grimmjow turned back to him. "That woman from before, do you know where she is now?"

* * *

Orihime cautiously opened her front door and smiled when she saw her two silverettes laying intwined with each other on the futon. She didn't have the heart to wake them so she placed the takeout on the counter and started cleaning. She was glad they found each other but also felt bad because they probably couldn't be together since Gin was the enemy.

She had no ill feelings for anyone, either on the good or bad side of the war because the aftermath was peaceful and there was no worldly destruction. She hummed quietly as she moved around the kitchen, a smile on her face at the reunion of the two lovers in the living room.

It was quiet for only a few minutes and she tensed when she felt a dangerously familiar reiatsu seriously close to her. She turned and she nearly screamed at the sight of a menacing looking Grimmjow standing almost at her back. He covered her mouth and grinned.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just coming to take the two captives you keep here."

Orihime struggled a bit when a familiar voice cut through the air.

"Grimm, don't scare her. You're lucky they're still here. She's been lying to everyone to keep them safe." Ichigo stepped into the apartment and gave Orihime a warm smile. "Good morning Inoue."

Grimmjow sucked his teeth. "Dammit Berry, you ruin all the fun."

Grimmjow went over to Gin and Toshiro in the attempts of rudely awakening the former Squad 3 captain.

Ichigo stood next to Orihime and she started. "Kurosaki-kun! You're conscious and walking around!"

"Yeah. I really was saved."

"What is he doing here?" She lowered her voice. He was kind to her in his own rough and strange way but she didn't feel anger toward him.

"I'm going back with him to Hueco Mundo."

"Kurosaki-kun!" She gasped but immediately lowered her voice, "why?"

"I'm dying Inoue." He said solemnly, "I'm dying and the only way I can be saved is going back there. I trust him and he's my alpha mate, my inner hollow instincts will take over and I'll die without him. For awhile, this is what I have to do."

She nodded in understanding and smiled at the sight of Grimmjow trying to wake Gin up only to be attacked by an irritated Toshiro for being woken up instead. The short captain kicked Gin in the face during his attack and effectively woke him up before Grimmjow got irritated and sat on them both.

Gin coughed and patted his hand as surrender and Toshiro grinded his teeth to give himself patience.

"Are we ready to go back to Las Noches now?"

"Yeah, now get off. Ya killin' me!" Gin wheezed.

"Shouldn't have gotten yourself nearly killed then. You're lucky this woman was around to save yer ass cause I was gonna leave you here to die." Grimmjow got up and went back over to Ichigo.

"How cruel."

"Get ready. I'm opening the gargantua soon." He turned back to Ichigo and flicked his nose. "It was dangerous for you to come up the stairs. Why didn't you stay downstairs with that shop owner?"

"I wanted to see Inoue before we left. It was only right."

Grimmjow snorted. "Dumb heroic antics."

"That's not heroic. It was just what I wanted." Ichigo retorted.

Footsteps came shortly and Kisuke came panting. "We need to hurry up this reunion. Three captain class reiatsu just entered the world of the living. If you're going to leave we need to do it now."

"Ichimaru!" Grimmjow called.

"I got it." The silverette said lazily. He was dressed in his formal arrancar attire with a blushing Toshiro at his hip.

The left Orihime's apartment and Grimmjow immediately lifted his hand to open a gargantua. A bolt of light flew through the air and smacked into Grimmjow's arm.

"Shit!" He cradled his arm to his chest. Ichigo looked and and paled at the sight of Byakuya, Komamura, and Kenpachi.

He was grabbed by the waist and was pulled away from another Byakurai from Byakuya.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya drawled, "explain yourself. Why have you the company of this Espada? Why aren't you fighting back?"

"Sorry, we have no time for explanations." Kisuke stepped forward and drew his sword. "Nake, Benihime." He slashed his sword released the crimson colored blasts and followed behind them for a physical attack.

Gin attempted to open the gargantua but he wasn't completely healed and didn't have enough energy to open one. Orihime rushed forward to heal the blunet but Grimmjow shook his head. He lifted his usable hand and opened a gargantua, grabbing Ichigo and ushering Gin and Toshiro to go first. Toshiro couldn't bring himself to look up at his fellow captains, he had already been labeled a traitor and making eye contact would only make him feel worse. Gin went through the gargantua first pulling Toshiro along and Grimmjow went next. "Come on blondie!"

Kisuke avoided another blow and jumped away. He made it to the ground and grabbed Orihime quickly. She put her arms out and blocked a Kido attack with her Santen Kesshun as Kisuke jumped through the portal with her in tow. Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily made it back to her just as the gargantua closed.

"Sorry," Kisuke sighed, "it would have been too dangerous to leave you behind."

"No no!" Orihime waved her hands and shook her head, "I don't mind. Honestly. If I can help, I don't mind."

"We don't have time to lollygag! Come on." Grimmjow ordered.

From there, they could only hope things would go well.

* * *

Ha! Who knew Grimmjow had a sense of humor?

I think this has been a wonderful chapter of reunions, yes?

Also, I like feedback~ Even if it's just a simple "Broette, this is awful." I'd appreciate it~ Tell me what you think~


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